Effects of adipocyte number and size on future risk of adult-onset disease in preterm low birth weight infants

2019 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 16K19695
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Young Scientists (B)
• Allocation Type: Multi-year Fund
• Research Field: Embryonic/Neonatal medicine
• Research Institution: Showa University
• Principal Investigator: Nakano Yuya 昭和大学, 医学部, 講師 (40465224)
• Project Period (FY): 2016-04-01 – 2020-03-31
• Keywords: 脂肪細胞 / 低出生体重児 / 生活習慣病 / 乳幼児 / DOHaD

Outline of Final Research Achievements

Low-birth-weight (LBW) infants have a high risk of life style related disease later in life. We hypothesized that LBW infants might have adipose tissue maldevelopment in terms of size or number of adipocytes at an early stage of life. Study population consists of 97 infants. Adipose tissue samples were obtained from the patients intraoperatively during infantile period to evaluate effects of perinatal factors such as birth weight and anthropometric measurements on adipocyte size.
In a simple regression analysis, the mean adipocyte diameters were positively associated with BMI and skinfold thickness, but negatively associated with birth weight and length SD score. LBW infants have significantly larger adipocyte size, compared to term AGA infants. Significant differences were strengthened after adjusting for variables such as sex, age, and BMI.
The present study showed that the adipocyte size of LBW infants during the infantile period is larger than that of term AGA infants.

Free Research Field

小児科

Academic Significance and Societal Importance of the Research Achievements

低出生体重児は将来の生活習慣病発症リスクが高いことが知られている。脂肪細胞の大きさはインスリン抵抗性ならびに生活習慣病リスクと密接にかかわることが知られているが、低出生体重児の脂肪細胞の大きさを乳幼児期に調査した報告はこれまでなかった。本研究から、低出生体重児では乳児期からその体格に比較して脂肪細胞が大きい傾向があることが示された。このことは、低出生体重児の生活習慣病リスクを考えるうえで学術的に非常に重要な知見である。今後、低出生体重児において、乳幼児期の脂肪細胞の大きさを変化させるメカニズムを解明し、生活習慣病リスクを軽減する施策を講じることができればその社会的意義は非常に大きい。