Elucidation of Inflammation Control Mechanisms via Short-Chain Fatty Acids in the Heart

2022 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 21K16020
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Early-Career Scientists
• Allocation Type: Multi-year Fund
• Review Section: Basic Section 53020:Cardiology-related
• Research Institution: The University of Tokyo
• Principal Investigator: Umei Masahiko 東京大学, 医学部附属病院, 特任臨床医 (30897690)
• Project Period (FY): 2021-04-01 – 2023-03-31
• Keywords: 腸内細菌 / 心不全 / 短鎖脂肪酸

Outline of Final Research Achievements

As planned initially, we explored the short-chain fatty acid receptors in the heart and demonstrated that butyrate, a type of short-chain fatty acid, exhibits HDAC inhibitory effects in the heart and may be involved in mechanisms related to cardiac hypertrophy. In addition, this year we added analysis of the gut microbiome and short-chain fatty acid concentrations to investigate the relationship between heart failure and the gut microbiome and the heart-gut axis. We found a significant decrease in butyrate concentration in the feces of the heart failure model mice, which, in conjunction with our in vitro results, suggests that a reduction in butyrate may contribute to the promotion of cardiac hypertrophy. The contribution of these findings to the improvement of heart failure remains a future task.

Free Research Field

心不全

Academic Significance and Societal Importance of the Research Achievements

腸内細菌叢が生活習慣と関連があることが次々と明らかとなっている。その中で、腸内細菌叢の構成異常が生じると、心不全が増悪しうることを今回明らかとした。すなわち心不全患者においては生活習慣などの腸内細菌叢構成異常を伴う疾患を罹患している場合、さらに心不全が増悪する可能性がある。また腸内細菌叢改善により心不全の増悪や助長を抑制しうる可能性も今後検討される。