2010 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

Effect of apoptotic cell phagocytosis on pulmonary emphysema

Research Project

Project/Area Number	21790787
Research Category	Grant-in-Aid for Young Scientists (B)
Allocation Type	Single-year Grants
Research Field	Respiratory organ internal medicine
Research Institution	Keio University
Principal Investigator	MINEMATSU Naoto Keio University, 医学部, 講師 (20296578)
Project Period (FY)	2009 – 2010
Keywords	肺気腫 / 貪食 / アポトーシス / マウス
Research Abstract	We applied elastase-induced mouse model to test the effect of impaired macrophage phagocytosis of apoptotic cells on pulmonary emphysema. Intra-nasal instillation of Annexin V, potent inhibitor of macrophage phagocytosis, worsened the pulmonary emphysema. Annexin V-treated mice had an increased number of alveolar macrophages, lower level of VEGF in BALF, and increased transcriptional activity of MMP genes. Collectively, impaired macrophage phagocytosis could deteriorate the pulmonary emphysema via fewer repairs and more destruction in this model.