Chewing attenuates metastasis-promoting effects of chronic stress in mice in

2022 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 20K10065
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research (C)
• Allocation Type: Multi-year Fund
• Section: 一般
• Review Section: Basic Section 57050:Prosthodontics-related
• Research Institution: University of Occupational and Environmental Health, Japan
• Principal Investigator: Azuma Kagaku 産業医科大学, 医学部, 教授 (20273146)
• Co-Investigator(Kenkyū-buntansha): 久保 金弥 名古屋女子大学, 健康科学部, 教授 (00329492) ; 飯沼 光生 朝日大学, 歯学部, 教授 (70184364) ; 小野塚 実 名古屋女子大学, 医療科学部, 教授 (90084780)
• Project Period (FY): 2020-04-01 – 2023-03-31
• Keywords: 転移がん / ストレス / 咀嚼刺激

Outline of Final Research Achievements

We examined effects of chewing on lung metastasis of breast cancer in mouse exposing to chronic restraint stress. Human cancer cells were injected into the tail vein of female nude mice. Stress was induced by placing mice in a restraint tube for 7 weeks. Mice in the stress-with-chewing group were allowed to chew during experimental period. The number and size of lung metastatic nodules, blood corticosterone level and the expression of glucocorticoid receptor, adrenaline receptor were higher in stress mice, compared with control mice. As compared to stress group, the number and size of lung metastatic nodules, blood corticosterone level and the expression of glucocorticoid receptor, adrenaline receptor were lower in stress-with-chewing group. These findings showed that chewing could attenuated the promoting effects of chronic stress on lung metastasis by regulating stress hormones and their receptors, and the downstream signaling involving angiogenesis and oxidative stress.

Free Research Field

医歯薬学

Academic Significance and Societal Importance of the Research Achievements

ストレス緩和とストレス性転移がんの発症・進行に及ぼす咀嚼刺激の効果をシステム的に解明し、がん患者のヘルス・プロモーションを支える口腔器官の介入を世界初の情報として国内外に発信する上で、学術的かつ社会的に大きな意義がある。今後のがん患者の増加が医療費をさらに押し上げ、近い将来医療経済を揺るがすことが懸念されている中、がんの発症・転移素因が咀嚼刺激によって解除される機構が解明されることにより、「がん治療における口のケア」と同様に、「がん予防における咀嚼行為」の取り組みが可能になり、医療費の削減に大きく寄与することが期待できる。