Japanese / English

Mamoru TANAKA,  Assistant Professor


1. Current Courses
 Biochemistry Laboratory
 Basic nutrition Laboratory

 

2. Research Area
          Biochemistry: Food allergies
                       Plant nutrition

 

3. Research Topic
 Clarification of the mechanics of food-dependent, exercise-induced anaphylaxis.

 

4. Research Summary
  Our aim was to clarify of the pathogenic mechanism of wheat-dependent, exercise induced anaphylaxis, Our group is engaged in allergenic evaluation and the elucidation of the digestive and absorptive mechanisms of wheat allergens using a murine model.

 

5. Research Description
  In recent years, the dramatic rise of patients suffering from allergies has become a serious problem. Anaphylaxis in allergies produces severe symptoms and necessitates the elucidation of associated mechanisms. Wheat is one of the three major allergens in Japan, and also is responsible for 57% of food-dependent exercise-induced anaphylaxis (FDEIA). In order to clarify the mechanism of FDEIA, our group focused on omega-5 gliadin in gliadin which is one of the wheat proteins. We did an allergenic evaluation to investigate the pathogenic mechanism in wheat-dependent exercise induced-anaphylaxis (WDEIA), using a murine model, omega-5 gliadin, that has been identified as the cause of WDEIA because of the  reaction of WDEIA patients' serum IgE and wheat protein. The reason why omega-5 gliadin is major allergen, however, remains unclear.
Our group has previously established a murine model of WDEIA that is used to assesses whether exercise is an essential driving force in WDEIA induction. Subsequently, our research indicated that omega-5 gliadin is a major allergen, responsible for stimulating WDEIA in mice, with a characteristic potential for stimulating IgE production. Furthermore, omega-5 gliadin has prominent allergen characteristics, suggesting that exercise might be an indirect factor in anaphylaxis induction.

Presently, I am investigating the digestive and absorptive mechanisms of FDEIA that are not yet fully understood. Furthermore, I am working on the basic problem of allergenic evaluation and a clearer understanding of the digestive and absorptive mechanisms of common processed foods in order to further understand the pathogenic mechanism involved in FDEIA.

    Faculty of Nutrition,
    University of Kochi