The interaction between High Fat Diet, lung stem cells, and lung fibrosis

2020 Fiscal Year Research-status Report

• Project/Area Number: 20K08548
• Research Institution: Keio University
• Principal Investigator: ヒガブ中井 アハマド 慶應義塾大学, 医学部(信濃町), 特任講師 (00507915)
• Project Period (FY): 2020-04-01 – 2023-03-31
• Keywords: High fat diet / alveolar type-2 cells / bronchioalveolar cells / fibrosis / fatty a. oxidation

Outline of Annual Research Achievements

We have achieved a successful High fat diet protocol that caused mice to gain weight steadily.
We have identified the effect of High fat diet on lung repair after a fibrosis-inducing injury, focusing on the effect on lung stem cells. We found that High fat diet delayed the contribution of alveolar stem cells in the repair process. It also delayed the resolution of inflammation and fibrosis compared to the standard diet.
We also examined the effect of a pharmacological inhibition of Fatty Acid Oxidation on the high fat diet-induced delay in alveolar repair and fibrosis resolution. We found that inhibiting Fatty Acid Oxidation caused reversal of the high fat diet-induced delay.

Current Status of Research Progress

1: Research has progressed more than it was originally planned.

Reason

The effect of high fat diet on lung repair was obvious and significant so we did not need to use large number of animals, or repeat the experiment several times.

Strategy for Future Research Activity

We are considering performing a comprehensive lipidomic analysis on the mice lungs to find out what are the lung metabolites that were influenced by the high fat diet, and how it affected the lung stem cells.

Causes of Carryover

We will use this amount to gather more data regarding the mechanism by which high fat diet delayed the lung repair. We will also use it to pay for the manuscript professional check and publication fees.