Investigation of new therapeutic strategies for ARDS and lung cancer focusing on the regulation of sympathetic overactivity

2020 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 18K15929
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Early-Career Scientists
• Allocation Type: Multi-year Fund
• Review Section: Basic Section 53030:Respiratory medicine-related
• Research Institution: University of Miyazaki
• Principal Investigator: Hironobu Tsubouchi 宮崎大学, 医学部, 助教 (60573988)
• Project Period (FY): 2018-04-01 – 2021-03-31
• Keywords: グレリン / ARDS / 肺癌

Outline of Final Research Achievements

Sympathetic overactivity is associated with inflammation and cancer progression. In LPS-treated mice, excessive doses of ghrelin reduced lung inflammation. In LPS-treated mice, excessive ghrelin administration reduced lung inflammation. The anti-inflammatory effect was also observed in vagotomized mice. Furthermore, the expression levels of pro-inflammatory cytokine in lungs of ghrelin receptor-deficient mice (GHSR-KO) were lower than those of wild type mice. These results suggest that endogenous ghrelin and pharmacological doses of ghrelin have different effects on inflammatory signals. The deletion of endogenous ghrelin caused development of lung cancer after intraperitoneal administration of urethane. It is suggested that defective ghrelin signaling may affect lung cancer carcinogenesis.

Free Research Field

呼吸器

Academic Significance and Societal Importance of the Research Achievements

本研究の結果から、内因性グレリンの有無が難治性呼吸器疾患の一つであるARDSの病態の悪化に関与することが明らかになった。ARDSは有効な治療が確立されていない呼吸器疾患の一つであり、本研究で得られた知見が新しい治療法につながることが期待される。