Artificial control of disease progression by a new heating and cooling system

2017 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 15H03000
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research (B)
• Allocation Type: Single-year Grants
• Section: 一般
• Research Field: Biomedical engineering/Biomaterial science and engineering
• Research Institution: Gunma University
• Principal Investigator: Shibasaki Koji 群馬大学, 大学院医学系研究科, 准教授 (20399554)
• Co-Investigator(Kenkyū-buntansha): 鈴木 倫保 山口大学, 大学院医学系研究科, 教授 (80196873)
• Project Period (FY): 2015-04-01 – 2018-03-31
• Keywords: TRPV4 / TRPV2 / 脳内温度 / てんかん / 浮腫 / グリア / アストロサイト / 網膜剥離

Outline of Final Research Achievements

We have clearly revealed that a thermo-sensor TRPV4 (activated above 34°C) is activated by physiological temperature in hippocampal neurons and thereby controls their excitability. Therefore, if local brain temperature could dynamically elevate depending on the neuronal activities, a thermo-sensor TRPV4 can enhance electrical excitability in neurons, and might lead to hyperexcitability. In this study, we focused on epilepsy, since it was caused by hyperexcitability of neurons. We generated a model of partial epilepsy in wild type (WT) or TRPV4KO mice, and measured electroencephalogram (EEG). The frequencies of epileptic EEG in WT mice were significantly larger than those in TRPV4KO mice. These results strongly indicate that TRPV4 activation is involved in disease progression of epilepsy. We expected that the disease progression enhanced hyperexcitability, and lead to hyperthermia in the epileptogenic zones.

Free Research Field

分子神経生理学