A New Approach to Postmenopausal Atherosclerotic Disease Based on "Vascular Beiging"

2021 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 18K08096
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research (C)
• Allocation Type: Multi-year Fund
• Section: 一般
• Review Section: Basic Section 53020:Cardiology-related
• Research Institution: The University of Tokyo
• Principal Investigator: Ueda Kazutaka 東京大学, 医学部附属病院, 助教 (60375798)
• Project Period (FY): 2018-04-01 – 2022-03-31
• Keywords: 動脈硬化 / 性ホルモン / 脂肪褐色化

Outline of Final Research Achievements

Although past studies have suggested the involvement of estrogen in the development and progression of atherosclerosis, the detailed pathophysiological and molecular biological mechanisms remain unresolved. In this study, we aimed to elucidate the response mechanism after vascular injury in terms of "vascular browning. We elucidated the significance of beiging using adipoq-Cre PRDM16 flox mice and identified an anti-inflammatory secreted factor, neureglin4, derived from beiging PVAT by single-cell analysis. These results indicate that beiging of PVAT following vascular injury leads to the resolution of vascular inflammation and suppresses pathological vascular remodeling.

Free Research Field

循環器内科学

Academic Significance and Societal Importance of the Research Achievements

傷害血管で褐色脂肪に特徴的な遺伝子発現が増加する「血管の褐色化」はこれまでにほとんど報告のない新しい概念である。本研究により、血管褐色化の制御が動脈硬化性疾患の新たな治療ターゲットとして見出される可能性がある。