The effect of skeletal muscle adaptation on the development of aortic atherosclerosis

2015 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 26560400
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Challenging Exploratory Research
• Allocation Type: Multi-year Fund
• Research Field: Applied health science
• Research Institution: University of Shizuoka
• Principal Investigator: Miura Shinji 静岡県立大学, 食品栄養科学部, 教授 (10342932)
• Co-Investigator(Kenkyū-buntansha): MORITA Akihito 静岡県立大学, 食品栄養科学部, 助教 (40239653) ; IKEDA Masahiko 常葉大学, 環境学研究科, 教授 (20232176)
• Co-Investigator(Renkei-kenkyūsha): GODA Toshinao 静岡県立大学, 食品栄養科学部, 教授 (70195923) ; KAMEI Yasutomi 京都府立大学, 生命環境科学研究科, 教授 (70300829)
• Research Collaborator: SHIMBA Yuki ; TOGAWA Hanako ; SENOO Nanami
• Project Period (FY): 2014-04-01 – 2016-03-31
• Keywords: 動脈硬化 / 筋線維の遅筋化 / 転写調節因子 / ApoE KOマウス / PGC-1α / FOXO1

Outline of Final Research Achievements

To examine whether the overexpression of PGC-1alpha in skeletal muscle could prevent the development of aortic atherosclerosis, we created the ApoE knockout mice overexpressing PGC-1alpha in the skeletal muscle. ApoE knockout mice without overexpression of PGC-1alpha were used as control. Hearts and fasting plasma samples were collected at the age of 16-20 weeks. The HE stained sections of the proximal aorta were evaluated for the cross-sectional area of lesions from the aortic root. Lipoprotein profiles were also measured. The skeletal muscle overexpression of PGC-1alpha could decrease by 43% in cross-sectional area of lesion as compared to control ApoE knockout mice. Plasma total cholesterol and VLDL-cholesterol levels were also decreased in ApoE knockout mice overexpressing PGC-1alpha.

Free Research Field

応用健康科学