Involvement of clock genes in aging of salivary glands

2019 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 17K12059
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research (C)
• Allocation Type: Multi-year Fund
• Section: 一般
• Research Field: Social dentistry
• Research Institution: Nihon University
• Principal Investigator: ARIKAWA Kazumune 日本大学, 松戸歯学部, 教授 (50318325)
• Co-Investigator(Kenkyū-buntansha): Bhawal Ujjal 日本大学, 松戸歯学部, 助教 (50433339) ; 田口 千恵子 日本大学, 松戸歯学部, 専修研究員 (80434091)
• Project Period (FY): 2017-04-01 – 2020-03-31
• Keywords: 唾液腺 / 抗加齢 / ドライマウス / 老化 / 口腔乾燥 / 時計遺伝子 / DEC1 / 体内時計

Outline of Final Research Achievements

Difficulty swallowing is quite common among the elderly. Aging is a normal physiological phenomenon that affects almost all organs including the salivary glands. The purpose of this study is to elucidate salivary function disparities in submandibular gland aging profiles focusing on two major areas - microRNAs (miRNAs) and their target genes - that are most significantly affected in the aging process. With the comprehensive analysis of mRNAs and miRNAs, a great number of pairs have been identified, suggesting abnormally expressed miRNAs have functions in the salivary glands aging, and the function may be achieved through the post-transcriptional regulation of certain genes on the related pathways. Transcription factor DEC1 strongly repressed the promoter activity of E-cadherin. We further identified a possible DEC-response element in the E-cadherin promoter region and confirmed the direct binding of DEC1 to that element providing feedback on the aging mechanism of salivary glands.

Free Research Field

予防歯科学

Academic Significance and Societal Importance of the Research Achievements

高齢化に伴う唾液分泌障害者の増加は歯周病のリスクを上げるだけではなく、嚥下障害や誤嚥性肺炎の発症を招くなど、全身にも悪影響を与える。唾液腺樹状細胞が唾液腺健康維持に重要な働きをしていることが明らかになり、シェーグレン症候群や加齢など唾液腺疾患の発症機序の解明にも大きく貢献することが期待されている。本研究において、唾液腺の老化のメカニズムを解明するだけでなく、唾液分泌障害の診断や対処法の確立に役立つと思われる。