Analysis of sympathetic nerve endings distribution patterns and their functional control in normal and pathological conditions of the kidney

2019 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 17K08501
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research (C)
• Allocation Type: Multi-year Fund
• Section: 一般
• Research Field: General anatomy (including histology/embryology)
• Research Institution: Hyogo Medical University
• Principal Investigator: Maeda Seishi 兵庫医科大学, 医学部, 准教授 (10309445)
• Project Period (FY): 2017-04-01 – 2020-03-31
• Keywords: 腎臓 / 交感神経系 / 神経終末 / シュワン細胞 / インテグリン / 自律神経系 / 腎傷害

Outline of Final Research Achievements

It is known that renal sympathetic hyperactivity occurs during kidney injury and exacerbates renal dysfunction. However, the properties of renal sympathetic nerve terminals and the transitions during injury is still unclear. In this study, the fine morphology and molecular property of the maintenance of rat renal sympathetic nerves are examined. Furthermore, we tried to preparate the ischemia/reperfusion (I/R) rats preserving their renal nerves.Single-labeled renal sympathetic nerve axon formed a nerve bundle with unlabeled-axons and projected into vascular smooth muscle and tubules while forming axonal varicosities. These endings were attached to the basement membrane fibronectin by the integrin α4β1.
RNP rats were useful as a model in the present study because the experimental I/R treatment had less effect on the renal nerves than the conventional 2 kidney 1 clipping method.

Free Research Field

解剖学　組織学　神経科学

Academic Significance and Societal Importance of the Research Achievements

腎臓の交感神経は体液の浸透圧調節をはじめ、血圧調節などに重要である反面、その活動亢進により腎機能障害の増悪や高血圧を引き起こす要因にもなる。本研究は、投射の複雑な腎臓の交感神経終末構築の微細形態的および分子生物学的基盤を明らかにしつつ、傷害腎モデル動物の作出を試みたものである。本研究で得られた基礎的なデータは、複雑な腎臓の自律神経支配のメカニズムの解明に役立つのみならず、腎交感神経をターゲットとした高血圧治療や腎移植時の腎神経再生誘導などに応用できるだろう。