Relationship between changes over time in plasma fatty acid composition in very preterm infants and the development of bronchopulmonary dysplasia using a novel ultra-trace quantification method.

2021 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 18K07860
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research (C)
• Allocation Type: Multi-year Fund
• Section: 一般
• Review Section: Basic Section 52050:Embryonic medicine and pediatrics-related
• Research Institution: Osaka Medical and Pharmaceutical University
• Principal Investigator: Tohru Ogihara 大阪医科薬科大学, 医学部, 准教授 (00211128)
• Co-Investigator(Kenkyū-buntansha): 安井 昌子 大阪医科薬科大学, 医学部, 助教 (70550218)
• Project Period (FY): 2018-04-01 – 2022-03-31
• Keywords: 血中脂肪酸分析 / 気管支肺異形成 / 早産低出生体重児

Outline of Final Research Achievements

Long-chain unsaturated fatty acids are essential for infant growth and neurodevelopment, and their deficiency is not only closely associated with diseases such as neonatal chronic lung disease and retinopathy of prematurity, but also affects long-term neurodevelopmental outcomes. It is also the mother molecule of specialized pro-resolving lipid mediator. In terms of lipid transport to various organs and the brain, ester lipids in free form and in lipoproteins are important, and their total amounts in serum or plasma should be evaluated in absolute rather than ratio terms. In the present study, we planned to use the ultra-sensitive GCMS assay method to investigate the association with the development of neonatal chronic lung disease, but the GCMS failed to be repaired during the study, ultimately making it impossible to carry out the study.

Free Research Field

新生児慢性肺疾患

Academic Significance and Societal Importance of the Research Achievements

今回の成果は、超微量検体による24種類の脂肪酸精密同時測定方法の開発に留まることとなった。具体的には、10μL血漿に内部標準物質を加え、一旦真空下で乾固した後、tolueneに再溶解し、メチル化処理後、NICI-GCMS分析にかける方法で、最終測定まで3時間と、現実的な短時間での測定が可能である。脂肪酸量を相対比（%molあるいはwt%）のみで評価した場合、ある脂肪酸が数倍に増加すると、他の脂肪酸はたとえ量が増えても、相対比は低下するので、実際の動態を把握するのは困難である。したがって、全血漿をまとめて、遊離型およびエステル型脂質双方の、実際の濃度を定量することは大きな意味があると思われる。