Characterization of specificity and pathophysiology in pulmonary veins

2021 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 17H01529
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research (A)
• Allocation Type: Single-year Grants
• Section: 一般
• Research Field: General physiology
• Research Institution: Jikei University School of Medicine
• Principal Investigator: Minamisawa Susumu 東京慈恵会医科大学, 医学部, 教授 (40257332)
• Co-Investigator(Kenkyū-buntansha): 赤池 徹 東京慈恵会医科大学, 医学部, 講師 (20647101) ; 草刈 洋一郎 東京慈恵会医科大学, 医学部, 教授 (80338889)
• Project Period (FY): 2017-04-01 – 2021-03-31
• Keywords: 肺静脈 / 肺循環 / 酸素感受性 / pitx2c / 血管リモデリング / 心房細動 / 心房

Outline of Final Research Achievements

The pulmonary veins are low-pressure vessels as same as the systemic veins, but they differ in term of the concentrations of oxygen in blood: the pulmonary veins contain the highest oxygenated blood in the body. In addition, the connection site of pulmonary vein and the left atrium is known to be an origin of atrial fibrillation. However, the vascular characteristics of the pulmonary vein are not well understood. On the other hand, although research on the pulmonary arterial system has made remarkable progress in recent years, the pathomechanisms of pulmonary circulatory disorders such as pulmonary hypertension, have not been fully elucidated due to the lack of studies of the pulmonary vein. In this study, we attempted to elucidate the molecular mechanisms underlying the structural and functional characteristics of pulmonary veins by using experimental vascular techniques and surgical procedures on small animals, including conditionally genetically modified animals developed by us.

Free Research Field

循環生理学

Academic Significance and Societal Importance of the Research Achievements

肺静脈は高い酸素濃度の血液が流れる点で非常にユニークな低圧系血管であり、肺静脈系が正常に機能しないと肺毛細血管系に血流がうっ滞することになり、肺水腫など生命を脅かす病態を引き起こすが、その血管特性は肺動脈に比べて十分に理解されていなかった。肺静脈の病態生理学的な意義としては、先天性心疾患、心房細動における異所性刺激発生部位、左心系心疾患による肺高血圧症などの病態進展において肺静脈の役割は重要である。本研究の伸展位よって、こうした病態の解明に寄与することが期待される。