Investigation of the relationship between maternal vitamin D during pregnancy and the future risk of adult-onset noncommunicable diseases

2022 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 20K11663
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research (C)
• Allocation Type: Multi-year Fund
• Section: 一般
• Review Section: Basic Section 59040:Nutrition science and health science-related
• Research Institution: Tokyo Institute of Technology
• Principal Investigator: Funahashi Nobuaki 東京工業大学, 生命理工学院, 助教 (30727491)
• Project Period (FY): 2020-04-01 – 2023-03-31
• Keywords: 生活習慣病 / DOHaD / 胎盤 / ビタミンD

Outline of Final Research Achievements

Recently, the frequency of low birth weight infant tend to be increasing in Japan. Decreased birth weight is associated with the future risk of adult-onset noncommunicable diseases. However, the underlying molecular mechanisms remain unclear the relationship between maternal nutrition and its effects on the offspring, including birth weight. Until now, we found a positive correlation between maternal blood vitamin D and phosphorylated AMPK levels in placenta, and between phosphorylated AMPK levels and birth weight and placental weight, respectively.
In this study, we investigated whether AMPK activation affects the expression of birth weight/placental weight-related genes using placenta model cell BeWo. Furthermore, we measured the expression levels of one carbon metabolism-related genes using placenta. In addition, we examined the relationship between the expression levels of these genes and birth weight/placental weight.

Free Research Field

代謝学、分子生物学

Academic Significance and Societal Importance of the Research Achievements

本研究課題により、我々は胎盤モデル細胞BeWoを用いて、これまでに明らかにした出生体重/胎盤重量と関連する遺伝子の発現が、AMPKによって制御されている可能性を示した。さらに、これまでに母体の血中ビタミンDと胎盤のリン酸化AMPK量、リン酸化AMPK量と児の出生体重や胎盤重量にそれぞれ正の相関関係があることを見出していることから、ビタミンDが胎盤のAMPKの活性に寄与している可能性がある。このように、本研究課題の成果はヒトへの還元、すなわちDOHaD説に基づく生活習慣病の予防による「先制医療」の実現に寄与するものと期待される。