1. Investigate the crucial target proteins in cell death of diverse organs such as brain, liver, panceas and adipose tissues in the primates which underwent serial injections of hydroxynonenal.
2. Investigate the role of brain-lipid sensing in the control of appetite and obesity.

My research focused on

1. NAFLD and its relevant symptoms like steatohepatitis and fibrosis, and candidates for its therapy.
2. Novel therapeutic approaches on obesity and related diseases.
3. Explore new potential target and treatments for diabetes.

高脂肪食負荷による腸管バリア機能の低下は血中エンドトキシンを増加させ慢性炎症を惹起しインスリン抵抗性やNASHの発症に関与することが注目されています。乳酸菌のNASH進展抑制効果について腸管機能や免疫応答への作用に着目し検討しています。

Lipid peroxidation product, hydroxynonenal is generated from polyunsaturated fatty acid (PUFA) during deep-frying of vegetable oils containing abundant linoleic acid. After consumption of deep-fried foods made by these oils, level of hydroxynonenal in the plasma increases so rapidly within minutes to hours, and accumulates year by year. Although consumption of vegetable oil has increased worldwide due to its lower cost, the adverse effect of vegetable oil-derived hydroxynonenal on human health is not widely known. Drs. Yamashima and Yamashita and their colleagues aim to elucidate both implication of vegetable oil-derived hydroxynonenal for diverse cell death and possible strategy for detoxifying hydroxynonenal.

I investigate that new target molecules play an important role in attenuating obesity-induced inflammation and insulin resistance by regulating inflammatory M1 and anti-inflammatory M2 status of macrophage.

Revealing the metabolic role of cell defense mechanism in energy homeostasis to apply for the prevention or treatment of obesity.