2015 Fiscal Year Research-status Report
Mechanisms and functions of neuropeptides and amino acids to adapt heat-stress
| Project/Area Number |
15K07694
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| Research Institution | Kyushu University |
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Principal Investigator |
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| Co-Investigator(Kenkyū-buntansha) |
豊後 貴嗣 広島大学, 生物圏科学研究科, 教授 (40325361)
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| Project Period (FY) |
2015-04-01 – 2018-03-31
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| Keywords | Chick / NPY / Body temperature / Heat stress / Stress hormone / Amino acids / L-Citrulline / GnIH |
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| Outline of Annual Research Achievements |
I have found that neuroppetide Y (NPY), which is popularly know as orexigenic neuropeptide, has some important function in regulating stress hormones in heat exposed chicks. Central injection of NPY reduced plasma stress hormone corticosterone in chicks under fasting condition. NPY reduced body temperture in chciks under control thermoneutral(CT) condition. NPY stimulated brain dopamine concentration under CT or high ambient temperature (HT) and dopamine metabolites norepinephrine and epinephrine concentrations in the plasma under HT. NPY caused to increase plasma triacylglycerol and glucose under CT or HT, but these metabolites were declined by NPY when chicks were deprived from food. These results suggested that NPY, which was increased during HT in our recent study supported by this KAKENHI (Ito et al., 2015) could have significant role to decrease stress hormone, corticosterone and alters energy balance and monoamine pathways possibly to adapt heat stress. Now a manuscript is under preparation with the obtained new results. Besides these achievements, I have also worked to find out the mechanism of L-citrulline (L-Cit) dependent thermoregulation. I confirmed that nitric oxide (NO) is not the substance to reduce L-Cite dependent declining in body temperature. Importantly, I have revealed that a substance in the so called urea cycle may be a strong candidate in the process of declining body temperature. Currently, I am progressing for a patent on this findings in collaboration with my research collaborator (Kyodokenkyusha) Dr. M. Furuse.
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| Current Status of Research Progress |
Current Status of Research Progress
2: Research has progressed on the whole more than it was originally planned.
Reason
A graduate student is working under my supervision on the project of NPY and heat stress. Now, we are writing a manuscript on NPY as mentioned above. Recently, I have had a chance to invite a research from New Zealand who is an expert on corticosterone analysis. With this collaboration, my graduate student and myself worked together to analyze plasma corticosterone and got interesting data. An Egyptian student is joining me next month who will work to reveal the function of gonadotropin-inhibitory hormone (GnIH) under heat stress condition in chicks and expecting to run the project more rapidly. Myself is working with other graduate students on amino acid matters in connection with heat stress in chicks. Besides, recently I have extended stress research using goldfish which will definitely broaden my heat-stress research activities and understanding.
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| Strategy for Future Research Activity |
GnIH research works will be starting from next month which is an exciting part of this project. NPY antagonist and gene silencing research will be conducted this year too. Currently, I have been discussing with my collaborator at Harvard Univ. for deciding the best gene silencing technique. My collaborator from Harvard, will be visiting my lab this year during July-Sept., 2016 to support the gene silencing of neuropeptide, NPY and GnIH in chicks. As for amino acids, I have already made a plan to conduct L-Cit and thermal tolerance experiment using marketing aged broiler chickens in collaboration with my research collaborator (Kenkyu buntensha), Dr. T. Bungo at Hiroshima Univ.
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| Causes of Carryover |
Neuropeptide research on NPY and GnIH will be continuing this year and following year. Neuropeptides are costly items to buy. Experiments to find out the functions and mechanisms of utilizing amino acids to minimize heat stress will also be conducted. These experiments needed budget to carry out. Reagents, animals and related other items are expensive. I will also be needed to conduct L-ciltrulline research at Hiroshima with my KENKYUBUNTANSHA, which also needs some budget. Based on my recent findings on heat stress, some budget would be used for heat stress research using goldfish in connection with neuropeptides and amino acids for expanding the understanding of nuropeptides and amino acid under heat stress.
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| Expenditure Plan for Carryover Budget |
Plan of using the budget as follows:
NPY receptor antagonist and receptor expression analysis experiment. GnIH and its receptor analysis, L-citrulline experiment with marketing age broilers at Hiroshima Univ. L-leucine and some other nutrients experiments in heat stress chicks. Buying animals and rearing cost. Then, some budget will be needed for assistant who are helping me to manage funds through our Univ. where Japanese skill is needed.
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