The associations of serum amino acid profile and dietary amino acid intake with impaired glucose metabolism: a prospective cohort study

2021 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 19K19474
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Early-Career Scientists
• Allocation Type: Multi-year Fund
• Review Section: Basic Section 58030:Hygiene and public health-related: excluding laboratory approach
• Research Institution: Hiroshima University (2021); Kyushu University (2019-2020)
• Principal Investigator: Chen Sanmei 広島大学, 医系科学研究科(保), 助教 (70808659)
• Project Period (FY): 2019-04-01 – 2022-03-31
• Keywords: アミノ酸 / 糖代謝障害 / 前向きコホート研究 / 糖尿病

Outline of Final Research Achievements

This study aimed to examine the prospective association of amino acid composition at baseline with the development of impaired glucose metabolism among a cohort of Japanese workers. A total of 1,131 non-diabetic participants who underwent the health examinations in the Furukawa Nutrition and Health Study 2015-2016 were prospectively followed-up for 3 years. Our data showed that blood concentrations of branched-chain amino acids, aromatic amino acids, and methionine at baseline were statistically significantly associated with insulin resistance at the 3-year follow-up. The associations for those amino acids showed a significant interaction with obesity status, with more pronounced associations observed in the overweight/obese group than in the underweight/normal weight group. These findings suggest that blood amino acid composition is associated with the subsequent progression of insulin resistance in Japanese workers.

Free Research Field

疫学

Academic Significance and Societal Importance of the Research Achievements

糖尿病の発症には、インスリン抵抗性といった早期の糖代謝障害が重要な役割を果たすことから、糖代謝障害の進展に関わる因子の同定が求められている。近年、糖尿病の予防におけるアミノ酸の効果に関心が高まっているものの、アミノ酸の組成がインスリン抵抗性などの早期の糖代謝障害の進展にどのような影響を与えるかは十分に明らかでない。本研究の知見は、インスリン抵抗性などの糖代謝障害の形成におけるアミノ酸の寄与について病態生理学的機序の理解につながるほか、日本人のみならず、日本人と体質を含め背景要因が似ている他のアジア諸国における糖尿病予防に資する疫学的知見である。