2018 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

Analysis of mechanisms of autonomous function between the brainstem and the spinal cord with using a decerebrated and arterially perfused in situ preparation

Research Project

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Project/Area Number	15K01393
Research Category	Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research (C)
Allocation Type	Multi-year Fund
Section	一般
Research Field	Rehabilitation science/Welfare engineering
Research Institution	Hoshi University
Principal Investigator	Yazawa Itaru 星薬科大学, 先端生命科学研究所, 客員研究員 (40360656)
Co-Investigator(Kenkyū-buntansha)	塩田清二星薬科大学, 先端生命科学研究所, 教授 (80102375)
Project Period (FY)	2015-04-01 – 2019-03-31
Keywords	Autonomous function / Perfused preparation / Spinal cord / Locomotion / Brainstem / Respiration / Microglia
Outline of Final Research Achievements	Due to various reasons, it did not lead the completion a new perfusion system in which artificial blood was introduced to the perfused preparation. However, here, we report “involvement of microglia in the formation of functions produced by neural networks in the central nervous system (CNS)” which is one of the studies conducted in parallel with the research subjects. It is known that microglia are poised to play important roles in shaping the developing CNS and contributing to overall nervous system function through a lifetime. We applied the current perfusion system to mice lacking microglia associated with interferon regulatory factor 8 and electrophysiologically examined postnatal changes in neural output generated from the neural network of the lower spinal cord that constitutes LGP. As a result, it was shown that this microglial defect might inhibit the normal maturation of the function generated by the neural network of the lower spinal cord constituting LPG.
Free Research Field	自律神経系、生理学
Academic Significance and Societal Importance of the Research Achievements	今回の研究成果の学術的意義は、①生後間もない時期～成体期の齧歯類に本方法論が適用できることから本方法論を用いてさまざまな分野の研究活動が行えること、②IRF8に関連するミクログリアの欠損が下位脊髄神経回路網で産生される運動機能の成熟を阻害する可能性があること、③今回の研究で使用した遺伝子改変動物は慢性骨髄性白血病の疾患モデルであることから慢性骨髄性白血病患者の下位脊髄神経回路網から産生される機能が未成熟である可能性があること、などが挙げられる。社会的意義は、免疫不全により中枢神経障害や運動障害が引き起こされる可能性があるため、まずは、免疫と神経には関連性があることが認知されることである。