Effect on olfactory epithelium in mice after chronic exposure to 2-ethyl-1-hexanol

2017 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 16K15375
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Challenging Exploratory Research
• Allocation Type: Multi-year Fund
• Research Field: Hygiene and public health
• Research Institution: Nagoya City University
• Principal Investigator: Miyake Mio 名古屋市立大学, 大学院医学研究科, 研究員 (80128610)
• Co-Investigator(Renkei-kenkyūsha): KAMIJIMA Michihiro 名古屋市立大学, 大学院医学研究科, 教授 (80281070) ; SAKAMOTO Tatsuo 中京大学, スポーツ科学部, 教授 (60262896) ; ITO Yuki 名古屋市立大学, 大学院医学研究科, 講師 (80452192)
• Research Collaborator: SAWAMOTO Kazunobu ; SAWADA Masato ; OYA Naoko ; WAKAYAMA Takanari ; SATO Hirotaka
• Project Period (FY): 2016-04-01 – 2018-03-31
• Keywords: 呼吸上皮化生

Outline of Final Research Achievements

2-ethyl-1-hexanol (2EH) is one of the causative agents of sick building syndrome. After the onset of coughing and nasal symptoms, some patients with 2EH-related sick building syndrome exhibit idiopathic environmental intolerance (known as multiple chemical sensitivity)-like symptoms that also react with other chemicals. Indefinite complaints such as fatigue and depression have also been reported in the patients. We hypothesized that chronic inhalation exposure to 2EH (0, 0.5, 10, 100 ppm) would cause hyperosmia and depression-like symptoms. Compared with the control, the score of the olfactory tests was lower in the group exposed to 0.5 ppm of 2EH, and the score was higher in the group exposed to 100 ppm of 2EH. In a behavioral test for depressive symptoms, no depression-like behavior caused by 2EH exposure was observed at the exposure concentration of this study.

Free Research Field

毒性病理学

Academic Significance and Societal Importance of the Research Achievements

化学物質過敏症の患者では目眩、発汗異常等の自律神経症状が見られることから、自律神経系への作用や嗅覚過敏状態の持続がこの疾病に関与していると考えられる。したがって、本研究はブレークスルーをもたらし、化学物質過敏症発症の機序解明の第１歩となる蓋然性は高く、将来根本的な治療法の提案につながる。