Effects of infection with the Mycobacterium tuberculosis on the development of metabolic syndrome

2018 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 16K01826
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research (C)
• Allocation Type: Multi-year Fund
• Section: 一般
• Research Field: Applied health science
• Research Institution: University of the Ryukyus
• Principal Investigator: INAFUKU Masashi 琉球大学, 熱帯生物圏研究センター, 助教 (90457458)
• Project Period (FY): 2016-04-01 – 2019-03-31
• Keywords: 肥満 / 脂肪肝 / メタボリックシンドローム / 結核 / BCG

Outline of Final Research Achievements

Tuberculosis was strongly associated with neighborhood poverty in the developed countries. To analyze influence of systemic inflammatory response to metabolic syndrome, we inoculated an attenuated vaccine strain of Mycobacterium bovis Bacillus Calmette-Gurin (BCG) into obese mice. BCG administration significantly inhibited the development of steatosis in mice, and its events was suggested to be related to the activation of acquired immunity induced by BCG. In addition, although administration of killed BCG did not affect on steatosis, it became clear that the components of BCG affect on the function of brown adipocytes.

Free Research Field

健康科学

Academic Significance and Societal Importance of the Research Achievements

本研究成果は、結核菌感染プロトタイプとしてBCG菌を用いて、それらの投与による肥満病態の変動について検証して、BCG菌による肥満病態の改善作用を示した。それらの肥満病態の変動は生体内における抗BCG菌免疫能の活性化、特に獲得免疫系が肥満病態の改善に関与している可能性が示され、抗結核ワクチンとしてBCG菌を利用している日本においては、この予防接種が肥満健康問題に影響を与えている可能性を示し、今後の新たな研究課題を見出したといえる。