Elucidation of muscle atrophy mechanism from space environment – Publicly Invited Research 2018－2019

  1. A01 Ogura
  2. A01 H. Takahashi
  3. A01 S. Takahashi
  4. A01 Michiue
  5. A01 Hinoi
  6. A01 Tsumoto
  7. A01 Nikawa
  8. A01 Chatani
  9. A01 Kawakami
  10. A01 Akiyama
  11. A01 Tomita
  1. A02 Shinohara
  2. A02 Mieda
  3. A02 Maekawa
  4. A02 Abe
  5. A02 Ohgami
  6. A02 Kawano
  7. A02 Takano
  1. A03 Suzuki
  2. A03 Nakamura
  3. A03 Harada
  4. A03 Kobayashi
  5. A03 Miyamoto
  6. A03 Funayama
  7. A03 Kakinuma
  1. B01 Lazarus
  2. B01 Kato
  3. B01 Kunieda
  4. B01 Kitaya
  5. B01 Sawano
Research Subject Elucidation of muscle atrophy mechanism from space environment
Research Group Leader
name
Research Collaborator(s)
  • Takashi Kudo
    Associate professor, Faculty of Medicine, University of Tsukuba
  • Michito Hamada
    Assistant professor, Faculty of Medicine, University of Tsukuba

Disuse muscle atrophy is muscle atrophy caused by not using muscles such as bedrest and the function of skeletal muscle is seriously impaired. Since Japan is entering an aging society in recent years, disuse muscle atrophy is one of the major social problems to be solved. But effective prophylactic and therapeutic methods have not yet been established. On the other hand, the speed and degree of muscle atrophy caused in the space is approximately 30 times faster on the time axis and 20 times more in the change width than the Gibbs fixation and the tail suspension experiment of the experimental animal on the ground. This suggests that the elucidation of the mechanism of muscle atrophy using mice in the space is highly likely to be a seed for molecular target treatment for disuse muscle atrophy. In addition, muscle atrophy caused in the space is not limited to atrophy of morphological muscle fibers, but accompanies degenerative change of contraction function such as muscle weakness. This degenerative change, which is one of the aging phenomena indicators, is called Sarcopenia. But its onset mechanism is unclear in many cases, since there is no equivalent experimental system. It is speculated that the rapid muscle atrophy in the space is occurring in the combination of disuse atrophy and Sarcopenia. Therefore, we will comprehensively analyze gene expression and epigenomic change of skeletal muscle of mice bred at the International Space Station (ISS) using the next generation sequencer to identify candidate genes of muscle atrophy. After idetifing candidate genes, we will clarify how they are involved in muscle atrophy by analysis of skeletal muscle cell line and genetically modified mouse. It aims to clarify the muscle atrophy mechanism and to identify novel molecules that can be a target for disuse muscle atrophy and prevention and treatment against sarcopenia.