New functions of NMU/NMS system

2017 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 15K09427
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research (C)
• Allocation Type: Multi-year Fund
• Section: 一般
• Research Field: Endocrinology
• Research Institution: Oita University
• Principal Investigator: Hanada Reiko 大分大学, 医学部, 教授 (00343707)
• Project Period (FY): 2015-04-01 – 2018-03-31
• Keywords: 神経ペプチド / 神経内分泌 / 新規生理機能

Outline of Final Research Achievements

Neuromedin U (NMU) and Neuromedin S (NMS) are neuropeptides, shared with common receptors, and those physiological roles reported before are reduction of food intake and increasing energy expenditure. In this project, we have examined the new functions of NMU/NMS system, which are related with inflammation or higher brain functions. We have established NMU/NMS double KO (dKO) mice and examined a series of behavior tests. It was confirmed of decreasing stereotypic behavior in open field test, and increasing context and cued freezing ratio in feared conditioned test in NMU/NMS dKO mice compared with wild type mice.
On the other hand, we have investigated the functional relevance of the NMU system in NAFLD/NASH, obesity related inflammation disease, pathogenesis. For the first time, to our knowledge, we confirmed that NMU and NMU receptor 1 (NMUR1) production in liver tissue increased with the severity of NASH, and that activation of the NMU system exacerbated NAFLD/NASH pathogenesis.

Free Research Field

内分泌学