Function of Neuromedin B in beige adipocyte

2019 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 19K21332
• Project/Area Number (Other): 18H06233 (2018)
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Research Activity Start-up
• Allocation Type: Multi-year Fund (2019); Single-year Grants (2018)
• Review Section: 0904:Internal medicine of the bio-information integration and related fields
• Research Institution: Oita University
• Principal Investigator: Higa Ryoko 大分大学, 医学部, 助教 (10819642)
• Project Period (FY): 2018-08-24 – 2020-03-31
• Keywords: Neuromedin B / エネルギー代謝調節機構 / ベージュ脂肪細胞

Outline of Final Research Achievements

Beige adipocytes are expected to have therapeutic potential in anti-obesity. However, their activation mechanism remains unclear. Since we found that NMB is candidate gene of regulating differentiation of beige adipocyte, we establish NMB gene-deficient mice. Wild-type mice and NMB gene-deficient mice were fed a normal diet (ND) or high fat diet (HFD). As a result, NMB gene-deficient mice fed a high fat diet decrease body weight gain compared to the wild-type mice significantly. There is no difference in food intake and activity between wild-type mice and NMB gene-deficient mice. On the other hand, the oxygen consumption in the NMB gene-deficient mice fed HFD are significantly higher than that in the wild-type mice. Our data suggested that the NMB gene-deficient mice were suppressed in the weight gain due to the high-fat diet by increasing the heat production.

Free Research Field

代謝学

Academic Significance and Societal Importance of the Research Achievements

熱産生脂肪細胞である褐色脂肪細胞およびベージュ脂肪細胞の活性化は抗肥満作用を持つことが報告されている。しかし、その活性化機構については未だ不明な点が多い。本研究において、NMB遺伝子欠損マウスが褐色脂肪細胞の活性化およびエネルギー代謝調節機構の制御に関与していることを示唆する知見を得た。このことからNMBが肥満治療の有用なターゲットとなることが考えられ、新たな肥満・代謝異常の病態解明と抗肥満治療薬の開発につながることが期待できる。