Exploring the circulating microRNA connecting obese and idiopathic aldosteronism

2021 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 20K22935
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Research Activity Start-up
• Allocation Type: Multi-year Fund
• Review Section: 0904:Internal medicine of the bio-information integration and related fields
• Research Institution: Kanazawa University
• Principal Investigator: Nakano Yujiro 金沢大学, 附属病院, 助教 (10883895)
• Project Period (FY): 2020-09-11 – 2022-03-31
• Keywords: aldosterone / obesity / miRNA-seq / 特発性アルドステロン症 / 血中microRNA / 脂肪組織

Outline of Final Research Achievements

Primary aldosteronism (PA) increases the risk of cardiovascular disease. Idiopathic aldosteronism (IHA) which requires lifelong medication, is suggested to be associated with obesity. We examined the pathological significance of circulating microRNA (miR) which is specifically elevated in the obese IHA. MiRs in circulating exosomes were extracted from obese IHA patients, non-obese IHA, and obese non-IHA, in 4 cases each, and miR expression was comprehensively analyzed. Target genes of the obtained candidate miRs were predicted using an online database. Several genes involved in aldosterone production; the expression of multiple ion channels or Wnt signal, were found.

Free Research Field

内分泌代謝

Academic Significance and Societal Importance of the Research Achievements

今回の網羅的解析は過去の研究とは根本的に異なることにより、肥満症と特発性アルドステロン症（IHA）を結び付ける因子として複数のマイクロRNAを初めて同定した。この結果これらのマイクロRNAの病態意義を研究することで肥満症がIHAの原因になることの証明の足がかりとなる。その結果、肥満症の解消がIHAの軽快・治癒に繋がり、生涯のアルドステロン拮抗薬内服を回避する可能性が示唆される。すなわち、生涯のアルドステロン拮抗薬内服とは異なり、治癒を目標にしたIHA治療戦略が広がると考えている。