Elucidation of the molecular mechanism involved in the development of muscle contracture and verification of the biological effect of prevention strategy in physical therapy

2018 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 16K16427
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Young Scientists (B)
• Allocation Type: Multi-year Fund
• Research Field: Rehabilitation science/Welfare engineering
• Research Institution: Nagasaki University
• Principal Investigator: HONDA Yuichiro 長崎大学, 病院(医学系), 技術職員 (40736344)
• Research Collaborator: OKITA Minoru ; SAKAMOTO Jyunya
• Project Period (FY): 2016-04-01 – 2019-03-31
• Keywords: 筋性拘縮 / 線維化 / 不動 / マクロファージ / 筋核 / アポトーシス / 筋収縮運動

Outline of Final Research Achievements

Macrophage accumulation was regarded as an important lesion in the developmental mechanism of muscle contracture, the detailed molecular mechanism of macrophage accumulation had been unknown. In present study, we investigated the molecular mechanism of macrophage accumulation in immobilized rat soleus muscle. As results, our research revealed that myonuclear apoptosis played an important role as the trigger of macrophage accumulation in immobilized rat soleus muscle. Additionally, our study confirmed the biological effect of tetanus exercise by belt electrode-skeletal muscle electrical stimulation (B-SES) to muscle contracture. Resulting in, the tetanus exercise by B-SES suppressed the occurrence of muscle fibrosis, this intervention was effective prevention strategy to the development of muscle contracture.

Free Research Field

理学療法学

Academic Significance and Societal Importance of the Research Achievements

本研究の特色は，筋性拘縮の発生に直接的に関わる標的分子を探索した点にあり，メカニズムを踏まえた治療戦略の開発につながる基礎資料として重要と考えている．具体的には，本研究の成果によって筋線維萎縮が先行して生じることが筋性拘縮の発生の分子シグナリングに寄与していることが明らかになり，筋線維萎縮の予防が筋性拘縮の発生予防対策につながる可能性が見出された．加えて，臨床において筋線維萎縮の予防対策として活用されている電気刺激誘発性筋収縮運動は，筋性拘縮の発生予防対策としても有効であることが示唆される．つまり，本研究成果は理学療法のエビデンス構築に大きく貢献すると思われ，その意義は大きいと考えている．