Visualization of lipid metabolism and its application to molecular pathology

2016 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 24590457
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research (C)
• Allocation Type: Multi-year Fund
• Section: 一般
• Research Field: Human pathology
• Research Institution: Sasaki Foundation (2015-2016); National Defense Medical College (2012-2014)
• Principal Investigator: Iwaya Keiichi 公益財団法人佐々木研究所, 附属研究所, 研究員(移行) (50312012)
• Project Period (FY): 2012-04-01 – 2017-03-31
• Keywords: 質量分析 / レスベラトロール / 脂質 / 脂肪肝 / マクロファージ / 中性脂肪 / 脂肪酸

Outline of Final Research Achievements

Lipids are important biological substances that are involved in signaling roles and energy storages. Among them triacylglycerol (TG) is a major component of food and animal fats. Excess amount of TG storages induce metabolic diseases such as type 2 diabetes and coronary heart disease. Because visceral TG significantly affects human health, we analyzed TG in fatty liver.
TG species in fatty liver can be detected by imaging mass spectrometry (IMS) and the results provided a reliable distribution map of the TG peaks. Compared with histological analyses, IMS provided better semi-quantitative visualisation of preferred TG peaks in liver specimens and would thus serve as a useful tool for clinical and other estimations of fatty liver. Analysis using MS/MS showed a structural change between liver TG and dietary TG. These findings suggest that MALDI-SpiralTOF is a powerful tool for clinical screening and estimating fatty liver, and that resveratrol improves fatty liver.

Free Research Field

病理診断