Biological significance of hippocampal Wnt signaling pathway modulation and improvement of nasal breathing disorders

2021 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 18K17244
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Early-Career Scientists
• Allocation Type: Multi-year Fund
• Review Section: Basic Section 57070:Developmental dentistry-related
• Research Institution: Tokyo Medical and Dental University
• Principal Investigator: Okihara Hidemasa 東京医科歯科大学, 東京医科歯科大学病院, 特任助教 (80754960)
• Project Period (FY): 2018-04-01 – 2022-03-31
• Keywords: 記憶・学習機能

Outline of Final Research Achievements

In the experimental group mice, the left external nostril was cauterized using an electric cautery device to obtain a unilateral nasal obstruction model. In a behavioral experiment at 15 weeks of age, deterioration of memory and learning function was observed in the experimental group. Regarding the evaluation of memory / learning functional substances, Western blotting showed a significant increase in BDNF and a significant decrease in Wnt3a, β-Catenin and TrkB in the experimental group. RT-PCR showed a significant decrease in TrkB mRNA and BDNF mRNA in the experimental group. This result suggests that nasal breathing disorder during the growth period may lead to deterioration of memory and learning function.

Free Research Field

歯科矯正学

Academic Significance and Societal Importance of the Research Achievements

近年、呼吸機能障害が、記憶・学習機能を司る海馬に変性をもたらす可能性が示唆されている。呼吸機能障害と海馬の機能変性に関するメカニズムについて解明することは、早期の呼吸機能障害改善の意義を高次脳機能学的観点から明確にすることが可能となり、先制医療への応用を鑑みると、社会的意義は極めて大きい。したがって本研究を含む研究の全体構想である「呼吸機能障害と記憶・学習機能を司る海馬における機能的・組織生化学的変性の関連を解明する」ことは学術的・社会的意義は非常大きい。