Relationship of selective vulnerability and vessel environment in the brain

2021 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 19K07259
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research (C)
• Allocation Type: Multi-year Fund
• Section: 一般
• Review Section: Basic Section 48010:Anatomy-related
• Research Institution: Kobe Gakuin University
• Principal Investigator: Mizutani Ken-ichi 神戸学院大学, 薬学研究科, 特命教授 (40469929)
• Project Period (FY): 2019-04-01 – 2022-03-31
• Keywords: 脳老化 / 神経疾患 / 血管環境 / 血管老化 / VEGF

Outline of Final Research Achievements

Selective vulnerability refers to the fact that neural subpopulations in different region may be more prone to death in response to specific types of pathological states of brain aging. In this study, we focused on the relationship of selective vulnerability and vessel environment in the brain, and utilized VEGFR1-DsRed mice that expressed a red fluorescent protein in vascular endothelial cells to visualize cortical capillaries clearly. We found that cortical capillary density preferentially decreased in some region of aged VEGFR1-DsRed mice and Alzheimer's disease model mice. These results suggest that aging or neurodegenerative diseases target specific brain regions correlated with vascular degradation.

Free Research Field

脳血管老化

Academic Significance and Societal Importance of the Research Achievements

毛細血管は全ての組織の機能維持に必須の役割を担うが、血管は加齢に伴って質的・量的に劣化することが知られている。このため、加齢に伴う脳機能の低下を抑えるためには、血管老化を予防することが重要と考えられており、効率的な血管老化予防法・治療法の確立が望まれている。本研究で見出された老齢脳や病態脳における領域選択的な血管老化に関する萌芽的知見が、今後、脳の老化や病態の解明に寄与することが期待される。