Establishment of new preventive strategies based on visceral adipose analysis and next-generation vascular molecular imaging

2019 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 17K09502
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research (C)
• Allocation Type: Multi-year Fund
• Section: 一般
• Research Field: Cardiovascular medicine
• Research Institution: Hiroshima University
• Principal Investigator: Kitagawa Toshiro 広島大学, 病院(医), 助教 (70633709)
• Co-Investigator(Kenkyū-buntansha): 木原 康樹 広島大学, 医系科学研究科(医), 教授 (40214853) ; 山本 秀也 安田女子大学, 薬学部, 教授 (70335678)
• Project Period (FY): 2017-04-01 – 2020-03-31
• Keywords: 心外膜下脂肪 / 冠動脈硬化症 / 分子イメージング / PET

Outline of Final Research Achievements

We reported that epicardial adipose tissue (EAT) obtained at cardiac surgeries had active pathological inflammation and increased expression of physiological active substance (cytokine), and that those characteristics were correlated with progression of coronary atherosclerosis. These suggest the importance of EAT assessment in diagnosis and treatment of coronary atherosclerosis.
On the one hand, we reported that a new PET tracer, 18F-sodium fluoride(NaF), contributed to detection of unstable coronary atherosclerosis and high-risk patients resulting in future coronary events. These suggest the usefulness of NaF PET as a next-generation imaging modality.

Free Research Field

循環器内科学

Academic Significance and Societal Importance of the Research Achievements

本研究では、心臓周囲の脂肪組織（心外膜下脂肪：EAT)における炎症などの現象と冠動脈硬化症との関連について新たな知見を明らかとした。EATの心臓病に関わるメカニズム解明を進め、臨床的なEAT評価法の確立にも貢献することが期待される。
また、新たな試薬を用いたPET検査が冠動脈硬化症の評価、リスク判定に有用であることを明らかとし、次世代の血管病画像診断の確立に貢献することが期待される。