Whether reduction of skeletal muscle function causes deterioration of cognitive function or depression symptoms

2017 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 16K13047
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Challenging Exploratory Research
• Allocation Type: Multi-year Fund
• Research Field: Applied health science
• Research Institution: University of Shizuoka
• Principal Investigator: Miura Shinji 静岡県立大学, 食品栄養科学部, 教授 (10342932)
• Co-Investigator(Kenkyū-buntansha): 守田 昭仁 静岡県立大学, 食品栄養科学部, 助教 (40239653)
• Co-Investigator(Renkei-kenkyūsha): KAMEI YASUTOMI 京都府立大学, 生命環境科学研究科, 教授 (70300829) ; ASAI AKIRA 静岡県立大学, 大学院 薬学研究科, 教授 (60381737) ; UNNO KEIKO 静岡県立大学, 薬学部, 准教授 (10106437) ; YOSHIDA TAKUYA 静岡県立大学, 食品栄養科学部, 助教 (80622448)
• Research Collaborator: SATO TOMOKI 静岡県立大学, 大学院 薬食生命科学総合学府 ; SENOO NANAMI 静岡県立大学, 大学院 薬食生命科学総合学府 ; ISHINO MAYU 静岡県立大学, 大学院 薬食生命科学総合学府
• Project Period (FY): 2016-04-01 – 2018-03-31
• Keywords: 加齢 / 老化 / 筋萎縮 / 認知機能 / うつ / ストレス

Outline of Final Research Achievements

Kynurenine is produced peripherally by stress exposure and causes depression symptoms in the brain. It was reported that exercise increases KAT expression in skeletal muscle, promotes degradation of kynurenine in the periphery and suppresses stress induced-depression. Therefore, in this study, we examined the hypothesis that "if the skeletal muscle function declines due to inactivity, the degradation of kynurenine is decreased, kynurenine influx into the brain is accelerated, and depressive symptoms worsen". As a result, even if the expression level of KAT of skeletal muscle was decreased, there was little effect on depressive symptoms. Any change in expression level of KAT was not observed in skeletal muscle of muscle atrophy model mouse (FOXO 1 Tg mouse). Injection of kynurenine into FOXO 1 Tg mouse caused no adverse effect on the expression level of hippocampal depression related genes.

Free Research Field

栄養化学