New prevention strategies for non-alcoholic steatohepatitis - a study on the importance of blood pressure and nutritional management

2017 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 15H04788
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research (B)
• Allocation Type: Single-year Grants
• Section: 一般
• Research Field: Hygiene and public health
• Research Institution: Chubu University
• Principal Investigator: NASU Tamie 中部大学, 生命健康科学部, 特任教授 (10020794)
• Co-Investigator(Kenkyū-buntansha): 石井 晃 名古屋大学, 医学系研究科, 教授 (30252175) ; 内藤 久雄 藤田保健衛生大学, 医学部, 講師 (90547556) ; 山ノ下 理 中部大学, 生命健康科学部, 講師 (50424924)
• Project Period (FY): 2015-04-01 – 2018-03-31
• Keywords: NASH / コレステロール / 高血圧 / 降圧剤 / 線維症 / CD68 / SHR / TNFα

Outline of Final Research Achievements

We investigated the mechanism that underlies the progression of hypertension-associated NASH by comparing differences in HFC diet-induced NASH among hypertensive SHR and SHRSP5/Dmcr, and normotensive WKY. The diet induced severe NASH in the hypertensive rats, whereas it only caused mild NASH in the normotensive rats. Increased activation of TGFβ/MAPK pathway was observed in the hypertensive rats; it suppressed nrf2 pathway in the hypertensive rats and led to lower increases in the hepatic level of HO-1. These signaling pathways might play crucial roles in the development of hypertension-associated NASH.
We also investigated whether antihypertensive drug suppress HFC-induced NASH in hypertensive SHR rats. It suppressed HFC-induced NASH in the liver of SHR rats. It significantly suppressed HFC-induced increases of inflammation- and fibrosis-related molecular markers. Thus, intervention of antihypertensive drug might be important in the prevention of NASH.

Free Research Field

環境毒性学・健康科学