Attempt to estimate the time of alcohol consumption based on ethanol exposure-induced changes in microRNA expression

2020 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 18K10128
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research (C)
• Allocation Type: Multi-year Fund
• Section: 一般
• Review Section: Basic Section 58040:Forensics medicine-related
• Research Institution: Kochi University
• Principal Investigator: Akinori Nakanishi 高知大学, 教育研究部医療学系連携医学部門, 助教 (10217763)
• Project Period (FY): 2018-04-01 – 2021-03-31
• Keywords: 飲酒証明 / マイクロRNA

Outline of Final Research Achievements

In forensic practice, determining whether the autopsied person drank alcohol is an important test. However, depending on the time between the time when the alcohol was consumed and when the samples were collected, the ethanol (EtOH) concentration may have decreased markedly from the body. Therefore, there is a need for a method to establish whether someone has consumed alcohol that is not based on EtOH in the body. In this study we used multiple EtOH-responsive microRNA(E-miR) and investigated the extent to which they are expressed in individual organs of mice administered EtOH to determine their utility as indices of the proof of drinking. Because E-miRs (miR-9, miR-15b, miR-21 and miR-335) showed different responses to EtOH exposure in individual organs and it also revealed differences in depending on the amount of EtOH administered, by analyzing the multiple miRs in multiple organs, it may be possible to devise a novel method to prove alcohol consumption that does not rely on EtOH.

Free Research Field

法医学

Academic Significance and Societal Importance of the Research Achievements

法医実務では、解剖症例の飲酒の有無を明らかにすることは重要な検査項目であるが、飲酒してから検査試料を採取するまで相当の時間が経過した場合、既に体内エタノール（EtOH）濃度の低下又は消失により飲酒の証明が困難な事例も発生する。そのような事態に対処するため、体内EtOHを指標としない飲酒証明法の開発は法医学上非常に有用である。本研究の結果、EtOH曝露により発現量が顕著に増減する4種類のmicroRNAを指標とした全く新しい分子生物学的手法による飲酒証明の可能性が期待できると思われた。