Downregulation of mRNAs Encoding Keratin-Associated Proteins in the Tongue of Mice Fed a High-Fat Diet

    January 2024 in “ Journal of Hard Tissue Biology ”
    Toshiya Nakatani, Ken Yoshimura, Akira Tanaka, Shogo Ohkoshi
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    Studysummary In this study, researchers found that a high-fat diet in mice induced downregulation of certain Krtap genes in the tongue, which may be linked to structural issues or oral cancer risk, highlighting a potential connection between oral health and systemic diseases like metabolic syndrome. Our plain-language summary of this paper — not a Tressless recommendation.
    This study examined the impact of a high-fat diet (HFD) on keratin-associated protein (Krtap) gene expression in the tongues of C57BL/6 male mice, involving 11 mice in total. After 24 weeks on an HFD, significant downregulation of five Krtap mRNAs was observed in the tongue, although no histological changes were detected. These findings suggest that the downregulation of Krtap genes may contribute to structural frailty of the tongue epithelium or oral carcinogenesis, potentially linking oral health to systemic diseases like metabolic syndrome. Further research is needed to understand the functional roles of Krtap genes in systemic disorders.
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