Gut microbiome- as a potential target for prevention of PCOS development-

2021 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 19K09749
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research (C)
• Allocation Type: Multi-year Fund
• Section: 一般
• Review Section: Basic Section 56040:Obstetrics and gynecology-related
• Research Institution: The University of Tokyo
• Principal Investigator: Harada Miyuki 東京大学, 医学部附属病院, 准教授 (70451812)
• Project Period (FY): 2019-04-01 – 2022-03-31
• Keywords: 多嚢胞性卵巣症候群 / 不妊症 / 腸内細菌叢 / プレコンセプションケア

Outline of Final Research Achievements

It has been recently recognized that prenatal androgen exposure is involved in the development of polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) in adulthood. In addition, the gut microbiome in adult patients and rodents with PCOS differs from that of healthy individuals. Moreover, recent studies have suggested that the gut microbiome may play a causative role in the pathogenesis of PCOS. We studied the development of PCOS-like phenotypes in prenatally androgenized (PNA) female mice and compared the gut microbiome of PNA and control offspring from 4 to 16 weeks of age. Our results showed that abnormalities in the gut microbiome appear as early as or even before PCOS-like phenotypes develop in PNA mice. Thus, the gut microbiome in early life is a potential target for the prevention of PCOS in later life.

Free Research Field

産婦人科

Academic Significance and Societal Importance of the Research Achievements

PCOSは生殖年齢女性で最も罹患頻度の高い（6-20%）内分泌疾患で、排卵障害の原因となり、また妊娠成立後も周産期合併症の発症頻度が高い。したがって、PCOS女性に対しては、不妊治療成績ならびに周産期予後の向上のために、挙児努力前からの健康管理すなわちプレコンセプションケアが勧められる。本研究は、腸内細菌叢への早期介入によりPCOSを予防できる可能性を示唆しており、PCOSの予防戦略を提示したという点で画期的であり、またプレ/プロ/ポストバイオティクスによる介入は、挙児努力中さらには妊娠中の女性に対しても適用可能な介入であり、実現可能性の高い戦略である。