Possibility of prevention and treatment of NASH by soybean saponin

2019 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 17K09443
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research (C)
• Allocation Type: Multi-year Fund
• Section: 一般
• Research Field: Gastroenterology
• Research Institution: Osaka Medical College
• Principal Investigator: Hayashi Michihiro 大阪医科大学, 医学部, 非常勤講師 (90314179)
• Co-Investigator(Kenkyū-buntansha): 高井 真司 大阪医科大学, 医学研究科, 教授 (80288703)
• Project Period (FY): 2017-04-01 – 2020-03-31
• Keywords: キマーゼ / NASH / 大豆サポニン / 阻害薬 / 線維化 / 炎症細胞

Outline of Final Research Achievements

Hamsters were fed a high-fat and high-cholesterol diet to create an animal model similar to the patient background of non-alcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH) patients. Hamsters fed high-fat and high-cholesterol diets developed hypertension, hyperlipidemia and diabetes in addition to obesity. In this model, lipid deposition, fibrosis, ballooning of hepatocytes and infiltration of the inflammatory cells were observed in liver. These results suggested that a model close to NASH patients was created. Using this model, the preventive effect of soybean saponin against NASH was examined. Soybean saponin did not significantly inhibit liver chymase activity and plasma renin activity. Moreover, there was a tendency to suppress fatty liver and fibrosis seen in NASH, but no significant difference was observed.

Free Research Field

一般・消化器外科学

Academic Significance and Societal Importance of the Research Achievements

本研究課題の1つは臨床のNASH患者と類似したNASHモデルの開発であった。臨床ではメタボリック症候群を背景にしたNASH患者が増加しているが、動物モデルで類似したモデルが少なく、新規の臨床に類似したモデルが必要であった。本研究でハムスターに高脂肪と高コレステロール餌を負荷することで目的の臨床に類似したNASHモデルの作製に成功した。もう一つの目的であった大豆サポニンによるNASH予防効果は軽微で限定的であった。