2013 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

Analysis of the role of transcription factor Nrf2 for arteriosclerosis through chronic inflammatory status

Research Project

Project/Area Number	24790305
Research Category	Grant-in-Aid for Young Scientists (B)
Allocation Type	Multi-year Fund
Research Field	Pathological medical chemistry
Research Institution	Tohoku University
Principal Investigator	HARADA Nobuhiko 東北大学, 医学(系)研究科(研究院), 助教 (20431439)
Project Period (FY)	2012-04-01 – 2014-03-31
Keywords	マクロファージ / 慢性炎症
Research Abstract	It has become widely accepted that macrophages exhibit heterogeneity in the atherosclerotic plaques during the progression of atherosclerosis. Plaque-associated macrophages can undergo pro- (M1) and anti-inflammatory (M2) polarization depending on the inflammatory status.To clarify the roles of Nrf2 in atherogenesis, we used an ApoE and Nrf2 double KO mouse model. As a result, we have clarified the role of Nrf2 in the M1 macrophage cells during the development of atherosclerosis in late stage, which indicates that Nrf2 may influence the inflammatory reactions in the plaques. The paper containing these results was accepted for publication in FRBM.