Basic and epidemiological studies to clarify a role of Apop-1 in aging

2018 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 16K01844
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research (C)
• Allocation Type: Multi-year Fund
• Section: 一般
• Research Field: Applied health science
• Research Institution: Mukogawa Women's University
• Principal Investigator: FUKUO keisuke 武庫川女子大学, 生活環境学部, 教授 (40156758)
• Co-Investigator(Kenkyū-buntansha): 安田 修 鹿屋体育大学, スポーツ生命科学系, 教授 (00372615) ; 横路 三有紀 武庫川女子大学, 生活環境学部, 助教 (80757188)
• Project Period (FY): 2016-04-01 – 2019-03-31
• Keywords: Apoptogenic protein-1 / ミトコンドリア / エネルギー代謝 / 脂肪肝

Outline of Final Research Achievements

In this study, we explored a role of apoptogenic protein-1 (Apop-1), which is a protein localized in mitochondria, in the mechanism of aging and age-related renal dysfunction. Apop-1 knockout mice (Apop-1KO) were fed a high-fat diet for 6 months. In the results, renal function was not changed between wild-type mice and Apop-1KO. Unexpectedly, high-fat diet induced-lipid accumulation in the liver was significantly prevented in Apop-1KO compared to wild-type. This result suggests that Apop-1 protein
may contribute to the fatty liver diseases.

Free Research Field

老年内科

Academic Significance and Societal Importance of the Research Achievements

脂肪肝は肝硬変や肝がんの原因となるが、その発症機序は明らかでない。最近、肥満や糖尿病の増加とともに脂肪肝の患者数が急増し、大きな社会問題となっている。本研究は、脂肪肝の発症メカニズムにミトコンドリア蛋白質であるApop-1が関わる可能性を示したものである。今後、Apop-1を標的とした脂肪肝の予防、治療法の開発が期待される。