Change of intestinal environment and gastrointestinal organ adaptation

2019 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 17K00854
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research (C)
• Allocation Type: Multi-year Fund
• Section: 一般
• Research Field: Eating habits
• Research Institution: Kobe University
• Principal Investigator: HOSHI NAMIKO 神戸大学, 医学部附属病院, 講師 (40645214)
• Project Period (FY): 2017-04-01 – 2020-03-31
• Keywords: 腸内環境

Outline of Final Research Achievements

One of the most important thing for any kind of species is to survive and pass life for species preservation. During evolution, human may have developed the system to flexibly adapt gastrointestinal organ system for effective energy harvest of nutrition available in intestinal environment by changing the organ size and/or effective absorption function. Time restriction on food accessibility led to alteration of components of gut flora compared to non-restricted group; however, it did not lead to overt organ adaptation such as organ size (intestinal length). Next we analyzed GPR43 deficient mice, which has deficiency to recognize short-chain fatty acids, metabolites from dietary fiber. No obvious organ size change was observed, but, some amino acid transporters were up regulated in the intestines. It suggests the presence of adaptation mechanism of mutual regulation of transporters and receptors for available nutrients in intestinal contents for effective energy absorption.

Free Research Field

食生活学

Academic Significance and Societal Importance of the Research Achievements

ヒトの進化の過程において、食料（エネルギー）確保が制限される困難な状況を耐えうるために、栄養素を効率的に吸収できる適応メカニズムを発達させた可能性があることは、想像に難くない。しかし、現代のような飽食な環境においては、このメカニズムは生体に富栄養を引き起こし、肥満や糖尿病、各種癌などの発病リスクを上昇させることが懸念される。本研究にて、野菜由来の短鎖脂肪酸を細胞に取り入れる短鎖脂肪酸受容体とアミノ酸トランスポーター発現に相互制御機序が存在する可能性が示唆された。近年増加した膵癌や大腸癌などは、食の西洋化と関連付けられているが、その機序に関わる可能性が推測され、今後の更なる研究が望まれる。