Analysis of metabolic epigenetics and biomarker for preemptive medicine from perinatal period

2022 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 20K09672
• 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: Okayama University
• Principal Investigator: Masuyama Hisashi 岡山大学, 医歯薬学域, 教授 (30314678)
• Project Period (FY): 2020-04-01 – 2023-03-31
• Keywords: バイオマーカー / 肥満 / 妊娠糖尿病 / メタボリック症候群 / プログラミング / 糖脂質代謝 / 継代的影響 / 妊娠高血圧症候群

Outline of Final Research Achievements

The links between obesity in parents and their offspring and the role of genes and a shared environment are not completely understood. In this study, we examined whether the offspring from dams exposed to a high fat diet during pregnancy exhibited hypertension,insulin resistance and hyperlipidemia along with epigenetic changes in the expression of adipocytokine and other obesogenic and diabetogenic genes. Our data demonstrated that the exposure to an HFD in utero might cause a　metabolic syndrome-like phenomenon through epigenetic modifications of other obesogenic and diabetogenic important gene as well as adipocytokine, adiponectin and leptin genes.

Free Research Field

周産期医学

Academic Significance and Societal Importance of the Research Achievements

母体肥満・耐糖能異常下の子宮内環境による胎児プログラミングの変化がもたらす肥満・耐糖能関連遺伝素因への影響を示す最適なバイオマーカー候補として、アディポサイトカイン遺伝子や肥満・糖脂質代謝関連遺伝子のエピゲノム変化を同定した。生活習慣病発症を抑制し健やかな次世代育成に繋がる“先制医療”の実用化を目指すためヒトでの応用の端緒となる基盤研究結果と考える。