Involvement of brown adipose tissue in subcutaneous fat necrosis of the newborn

2013 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 23591598
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research (C)
• Allocation Type: Multi-year Fund
• Section: 一般
• Research Field: Embryonic/Neonatal medicine
• Research Institution: Oita University
• Principal Investigator: FUJIWARA Sakuhei 大分大学, 医学部, 教授 (90181411)
• Co-Investigator(Kenkyū-buntansha): OKAMOTO Osamu 大分大学, 医学部, 講師 (40284799) ; ISHIKAWA Kazushi 大分大学, 医学部, 助教 (80600452)
• Co-Investigator(Renkei-kenkyūsha): CHIBA Seiichi 大分大学, 医学部, 助教 (20457633)
• Project Period (FY): 2011 – 2013
• Keywords: 新生児皮下脂肪壊死症 / 褐色脂肪組織 / ミトコンドリア / UCP-1 / アポトーシス / FDG-PET

Research Abstract

Subcutaneous fat necrosis (SCFN) of the newborn is a rare condition that is manifest within days of birth. The interscapular region, axillae and shoulders are the most commonly affected sites, corresponding to anatomic sites of brown fat tissue (BAT) in newborns. We postulated the specific involvement of BAT in SCFN and searched for brown adipocytes at affected sites. Biopsy specimens were immunostained with antibodies against uncoupling protein 1 (UCP-1) and examined by electron microscopy. We also examined BAT by 18F-fluorodeoxyglucose (18F-FDG) positron-emission tomographic and computed tomographic (PET-CT) scanning. A few cells in biopsy specimens from two patients bound antibodies against UCP-1, and brown adipocytes were detected at several stages of degeneration. PET-CT scans revealed lower uptake of 18F-FDG at major sites of SCFN. SCFN and BAT can be found in the same sites, suggesting a pathophysiological connection.

Research Products

• [Journal Article] Expressions of peroxisome proliferator-activated receptors (PPARs) are directly influenced by permeability barrier abrogation and inflammatory cytokines and depressed PPARαmodulates expressions of chemokines and epidermal differentiation-related molecules in keratinocytes (2013)
  • Author(s): Adachi Y, Hatano Y, Sakai T, Fujiwara S
  • Journal Title: Exp Dermatol Volume: 22(9) Pages: 606-8
• [Journal Article] Epiplakin modifies the motility of the HeLa cells and accumulates at the outer surfaces of 3-D cell clusters (2013)
  • Author(s): Shimada H, Nambu-Niibori A, Wilson-Morifuji M, Mizuguchi S, Araki N, Sumiyoshi H, Sato M, Mezaki Y, Senoo H, Ishikawa K, Hatano Y, Okamoto O, Fujiwara S
  • Journal Title: J Dermatol Volume: 40(4) Pages: 249-58
• [Journal Article] The Th2 cytokine, interleukin-4, abrogates the cohesion of normal stratum corneum in mice : implications for pathogenesis of atopic dermatitis (2013)
  • Author(s): Hatano Y, Adachi Y, Elias PM, Crumrine D, Sakai T, Kurahashi R, Katagiri K, Fujiwara S
  • Journal Title: Exp Dermatol Volume: 22(1) Pages: 30-5
• [Journal Article] Involvement of Brown Adipose Tissue in Subcutaneous Fat Necrosis of the Newborn (2011)
  • Author(s): Ichimiya H,Arakawa S,Sato T,Shimada T,Chiba M,Soma Y,Mizoguch M,Tomonari K,Iwasaka H,Hatano Y,Okamoto O, Fujiwara S
  • Journal Title: Dermatology Volume: 223 Pages: 207-210
• [Journal Article] Dermatopontin Interacts with Fibronectin, Promotes Fibronectin Fibril Formation, and Enhances Cell Adhesion (2011)
  • Author(s): Kato A,Okamoto O,Ishikawa K,Sumiyoshi H,Matsuo N,Yoshioka H,Nomizu M,Shimada T,and Fujiwara S
  • Journal Title: The Journal of Biological Chemistry Volume: 286(17) Pages: 14861-14869
• [Journal Article] Small nuclear size of Merkel cell tumors is a useful indicator of poor prognosis (2011)
  • Author(s): Okamoto O,Ito Y,Kai Y,Goto M,Fujiwara S
  • Journal Title: J Dermatol Volume: 39(10) Pages: 875-877
• [Book] Management of Acral Lentiginous Melanoma In Melanoma - From Early Detection to Treatment,Chapters 17 (2013)
  • Author(s): Kay Y, Fujiwara S(Edited by Guy Huynh Thien Duc)
  • Total Pages: 719 pages,pp475-497
  • Publisher: InTech