Adaptation for hypoxia in fetus

2023 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 22K17798
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Early-Career Scientists
• Allocation Type: Multi-year Fund
• Review Section: Basic Section 59040:Nutrition science and health science-related
• Research Institution: Kyoto University
• Principal Investigator: TOMOTAKI Seiichi 京都大学, 医学研究科, 特定病院助教 (80813394)
• Project Period (FY): 2022-04-01 – 2024-03-31
• Keywords: HIF / 胎児発育不全 / 低酸素

Outline of Final Research Achievements

Infants with fetal growth restriction (FGR) due to exposure to low nutrition and hypoxia in utero are at high risk not only for developmental impairment, but also for abnormal glucose metabolism after birth and metabolic syndrome in the future. Using rat models of FGR, we have shown that in FGR there is an adaptive process of preferential glucose uptake in the brain, while insulin resistance develops in other organs.The results suggest that the process by which FGR infants adapt to the hypoxic and hyponutritional environment in utero to protect their brains may lead to postnatal blood glucose abnormalities and metabolic syndrome in the future.

Free Research Field

新生児医学

Academic Significance and Societal Importance of the Research Achievements

今回の結果は、FGRの胎児が脳を優先的に保護するためのメカニズムを、内分泌学的な視点から示した初めての成果である。この成果は、FGRの胎児における脳保護メカニズムと、FGRに伴う生後の血糖異常や将来のMetS発症といった様々な病態の解明へ向けたさらなる研究への基盤となる。また、生後のより良い血糖管理戦略や、ひいては発達障害やMetSの予防に繋がっていくことが期待できる。