Elucidation of the organ fibrosis-inducing action of quinolinic acid and search for food ingredients that protect the body from organ fibrosis

Abstract

Fibrosis is a condition in which tissue thickens or scars in response to injury. It can affect multiple parts of the human body, including organs, but there are few treatments. The condition was previously thought to be irreversible but, since the discovery that fibrosis is not captured in any single particular organ, but is caused by a complex network of cells and organs, researchers believe there is a common pathophysiological mechanism at play, and the condition may be reversible. Professor Ken-Ichi Kobayashi, Notre Dame Seishin University, Japan, is working on a project to discover more about the mechanisms involved in organ fibrosis, with a focus on the role that quinolinic acid, a known neurotoxin, might play. Reports that quinolinic acid is increased in the brain in varied conditions led to the ‘Quinolinic Acid Hypothesis’. In a study focused on obesity-induced NASH diet, the researchers examined the effects on the liver and other organs and found that the kynurenine metabolic pathway was decreased in the liver of NASH. The team also demonstrated for the first time that fibrosis is enhanced in the liver and the kidney in a GAN diet-induced NASH mouse model. The researchers also showed that the liver and kidneys have very different effects on the kynurenine metabolic pathway. The researchers want to clarify the relationship with non-alcoholic fatty pancreas (NAFPD) and other organs, to better understand the pathomechanisms of organ fibrosis. Based on these findings, they are now focusing on renal fibrosis and researching food ingredients that prevent and improve organ fibrosis.