2012 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

Gut microbiota and gut mucosal barrier in hibernating animals

Research Project

Project/Area Number	23659119
Research Category	Grant-in-Aid for Challenging Exploratory Research
Allocation Type	Multi-year Fund
Research Field	Environmental physiology (including Physical medicine and Nutritional physiology)
Research Institution	Hokkaido University
Principal Investigator	SONOYAMA Kei 北海道大学, 大学院・農学研究院, 准教授 (90241364)
Co-Investigator(Kenkyū-buntansha)	TSUBOTA Toshio 北海道大学, 大学院・獣医学研究科, 教授 (10207441) TAKIGUCHI Mitsuyoshi 北海道大学, 大学院・獣医学研究科, 教授 (70261336)
Project Period (FY)	2011 – 2012
Keywords	冬眠 / 腸内細菌叢 / 腸粘膜バリア / 上皮細胞 / シリアンハムスター
Research Abstract	This study investigated the control of gut microbiota and gut mucosal barrier in hibernating animals. In hibernating Syrian hamsters, we observed higher concentrations of secretory antibodies in the small intestinal contents, suggesting its contribution to protection against infection. Indeed, no bacteria were observed in the mesenteric lymph node of hibernating hamsters. Analysis of lymphocyte profiles in the immune tissues indicated that ability to protect against infection and to regulate immune function may be maintained in the gut of hibernating hamsters. Furthermore, we found that cell renewal of intestinal epithelium is markedly retarded in hibernating hamsters.