Adverse effect on age-related brain function by environmental and social stress and a preventive role of food factors

2020 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 18H03194
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research (B)
• Allocation Type: Single-year Grants
• Section: 一般
• Review Section: Basic Section 59040:Nutrition science and health science-related
• Research Institution: University of Shizuoka
• Principal Investigator: Shimoi Kayoko 静岡県立大学, 食品栄養科学部, 客員教授 (10162728)
• Co-Investigator(Kenkyū-buntansha): 小出 剛 国立遺伝学研究所, 遺伝形質研究系, 准教授 (20221955) ; 榊原 啓之 宮崎大学, 農学部, 教授 (20403701)
• Project Period (FY): 2018-04-01 – 2021-03-31
• Keywords: ストレス / ライフステージ / 加齢 / 脳機能 / 食品成分 / 予防

Outline of Final Research Achievements

Effects of aging on social stress, such as isolation and confrontation, induced physiological responses were investigated using young, middle-aged, and old mice (C57BL/6N and BALB/c). A stress response via activated HPA axis was induced in each aged mice. It was suggested that isolation stress for a long period may affect the lipid metabolism and induce intracerebral inflammation, especially in middle aged mice. It was found that the expressions of two genes in the liver or the hippocampus were reduced or induced by social stress. These two genes could be used as a new stress related marker.

Free Research Field

食品機能学、生体機能学

Academic Significance and Societal Importance of the Research Achievements

同じ系統のマウスで、若齢、中齢、高齢の各ライフステージで、ストレス応答や環境・社会的ストレス負荷による脳機能の変化を比較追究した報告がほとんどなかったが、本研究によりどのライフステージでもHPA軸を介したストレス応答があることがわかり、特に中齢期はストレスが脂質代謝系に影響を与え脳内炎症が惹起される可能性が示唆されたことは、ストレスによる健康障害を未然に防ぐために役立つと考える。