Human milk and the response of intestinal epithelium to infection

The "weanling's dilemma" revisited: Evolving bodies of evidence and the problem of infant paleodietary interpretation

Breastfeeding is known to be a powerful mediator of maternal and childhood health, with impacts throughout the life course. Paleodietary studies of the past 30 years have accordingly taken an enduring interest in the health and diet of young children as a potential indicator of population fertility, subsistence, and mortality patterns. While progress has been made in recent decades toward acknowledging the agency of children, many paleodietary reconstructions have failed to incorporate developments in cognate disciplines revealing synergistic dynamics between maternal and offspring biology. Paleodietary interpretation has relied heavily on the "weanling's dilemma," in which infants are thought to face a bleak choice between loss of immunity or malnutrition. Using a review of immunological and epidemiological evidence for the dynamic and supportive role that breastfeeding plays throughout the complementary feeding period, this article offers context and nuance for understanding past feeding transitions. We suggest that future interpretative frameworks for infant paleodietary and bioarchaeological research should include a broad knowledge base that keeps pace with relevant developments outside of those disciplines.

Facilitating Colostrum Collection by Hospitalized Women in the Early Postpartum Period for Infant Trophic Feeding and Oral Immune Therapy

Administration of colostrum for early trophic feedings and colostrum oral immune therapy for neonates in the NICU is essential to enhance gut maturation and lower risk of infections. However, it is often difficult for women to collect early colostrum because of its thick viscosity and low volume. Women may be unable to sit upright during pumping sessions because of postsurgical pain, acute or chronic illness, or birth complications and may need assistance. In this article, we describe specific techniques that providers can use to help women to collect colostrum when they are unable to accomplish collection on their own. Helping women collect and administer colostrum to their neonates in the NICU may engage and motivate them to continue to pump and provide breast milk for their hospitalized neonates.

Lactogenic hormone stimulation and epigenetic control of L-amino acid oxidase expression in lactating mammary glands

L-amino acid oxidase (LAO), a classic flavoprotein, shows antibacterial activity by producing hydrogen peroxide. LAO exists in many tissues such as salivary gland, thymus, spleen, small intestine and testis. In particular, LAO was highly expressed in mice milk and plays an important factor in innate immunity of mammary glands. However, the mechanism which LAO expression is regulated spatially and temporally in lactating mammary glands has been unclear. In this study, we showed the contribution of lactogenic hormone and epigenetic control on LAO gene expression. In monolayer of mammary epithelial cells, treatment of lactogenic hormone mixture, dexamethasone, insulin and prolactin, did not induce LAO mRNA expression and its promoter activity, even though one of milk protein β-casein expression was stimulated. However, increase of LAO expression was observed when the cells were treated with lactogenic hormones in a 3-dimensional culture. The results of chromatin immunoprecipitation analysis revealed that histone H3K18 acetylation increased and histone H3K27 tri-methylation decreased with lactation, which is associated with a period of high LAO expression. Moreover, the treatment of histone methylation inhibitor (DZNep) as well as histone deacetylation inhibitor (Trichostatine A) induced LAO expression in monolayer of mammary cells. Taken together, this is the first demonstration showing that LAO expression is induced in cell culture, and stimulation of lactogenic hormone and change of histone modification are promising signals to show highly expression of LAO in lactating mammary glands.

Comparative effects of probiotics, prebiotics, and synbiotics on growth factors in the large bowel in a rat model of formula-induced bowel inflammation

OBJECTIVES

Supplementation with probiotics has been shown to prevent gastrointestinal damage possibly through preservation of growth factors. We tested the hypothesis that probiotics, prebiotics, or synbiotics supplementation preserves intestinal insulin-like growth factors (IGFs) and epidermal growth factors (EGFs) in formula-fed neonatal rats.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

At birth (postnatal day 0 [P0]), neonatal rat pups (n = 18 pups/group) were either maternally fed or hand-gavaged with formula supplemented with probiotics (Pro-Fed), prebiotics, or synbiotics from P0 to P3. A formula-fed control group received formula without supplementation. At P4, large bowel samples were assessed histologically and assayed for vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF), soluble VEGF receptor-1, IGF-I, IGF-II, and EGF.

RESULTS

All formula-fed groups were severely growth suppressed with comparable mortalities. Moderate preservation of bowel integrity was noted in the Pro-Fed group. In contrast, severe inflammation was seen in all of the other formula groups. This was associated with significant increases in VEGF levels in all of the formula groups (P < 0.05) except the Pre-Fed group. Similar elevations in soluble VEGF receptor-1 (P < 0.05), IGF-I (P < 0.05), and EGF (P < 0.05) were noted, but statistical significance was achieved only in the Pro-Fed group.

CONCLUSIONS

Induction of IGF-I and EGF with moderate bowel integrity may represent a protective effect of probiotics against formula-induced inflammation. These data, taken collectively, suggest that probiotics may provide more beneficial effects on the developing large bowel than prebiotics and synbiotics.

Bile-salt-stimulated lipase and mucins from milk of 'secretor' mothers inhibit the binding of Norwalk virus capsids to their carbohydrate ligands

Breast-feeding-associated protection against calicivirus diarrhoea is associated with the presence of high levels of 2-linked oligosaccharides in mother's milk, and human calicivirus strains including the NV (Norwalk virus) use gut 2-linked fucosylated glycans as receptors, suggesting the presence of decoy receptors in milk. Our aim was to analyse the ability of human milk to inhibit the attachment of rNV VLPs (recombinant NV-like particles) to their carbohydrate ligands and to characterize potential inhibitors found in milk. Milk from women with the secretor phenotype was strongly inhibitory, unlike milk from women that are non-secretors, which is devoid of 2-linked fucosylated structures. At least two fractions in human milk acted as inhibitors for the NV capsid attachment. The first fraction corresponded to BSSL (bile-salt-stimulated lipase) and the second to associated mucins MUC1 and MUC4. These proteins present tandem repeat O-glycosylated sequences that should act as decoy receptors for the NV, depending on the combined mother/child secretor status.

Evolution of the mammary gland from the innate immune system?

The mammary gland is a skin gland unique to the class Mammalia. Despite a growing molecular and histological understanding of the development and physiology of the mammary gland, its functional and morphological origins have remained speculative. Numerous theories on the origin of the mammary gland and lactation exist. The purpose of the mammary gland is to provide the newborn with copious amounts of milk, a unique body fluid that has a dual role of nutrition and immunological protection. Interestingly, antimicrobial enzymes, such as xanthine oxidoreductase or lysozyme, are directly involved in the evolution of the nutritional aspect of milk. We outline that xanthine oxidoreductase evolved a dual role in the mammary gland and hence provide new evidence supporting the hypothesis that the nutritional function of the milk evolved subsequent to its protective function. Therefore, we postulate that the mammary gland evolved from the innate immune system. In addition, we suggest that lactation partly evolved as an inflammatory response to tissue damage and infection, and discuss the observation that the two signaling pathways, NF-kB and Jak/Stat, play central roles in inflammation as well as in lactation.

The Dynamic Effects of Breastfeeding on Intestinal Development and Host Defense

In this review, evidence is provided to support the hypothesis that human milk provides a link between the mother and her newborn infant in the extrauterine environment in a manner similar to the placental link between mother and fetus in utero. In addition, breastfeeding helps prevent age-related diseases affecting the gastrointestinal tract during the newborn period. To provide evidence to support this hypothesis, anecdotal clinical studies are sited to suggest that human milk contains factors that may be missing in inherited diseases of inborn errors in metabolism and provide passive protective factors that lessen the expression of neonatal allergic and infectious diseases. In some instances, by providing the missing factor in an inherited disease, the newborn may be protected from serious damage to its developing brain. A second line of evidence to support this hypothesis is the observation that the composition of human milk varies with the infant's needs. To illustrate this principal, the composition of milk from mothers delivering prematurely and milk of mothers of full-term infants were compared, and the differences in trophic and protective factors in colostrum versus mature milk from mothers delivering full-term are cited. Finally, using observations from the laboratory that define the immaturities in neonatal and premature human intestinal defenses as the neonate's host defense deficiency, the specific effect that anti-inflammatory and maturational factors in human milk has on these immaturities is discussed. The active stimulus of maternal milk on the rapid development of host defenses is underscored. These cited examples of human milk effects in the newborn help support the stated hypothesis. Additional studies of human immature gut function along with translational and clinical studies are necessary to provide further objective evidence in support of breastfeeding for all neonates, particularly premature neonates.

Pseudomonas aeruginosa lectin PA-IIL as a powerful probe for human and bovine milk analysis

Milk composition exhibits species-specific differences depending on genetic, evolutionary, and environmental factors. In addition, commercial milk preparations are also changed by industrial manipulations, including severe heat processing. Cow milk, used as human food, provides important nutrients but lacks some essential components that are present in raw human milk. The present study, which was aimed at comparing infant breastfeeding to cow-based formula nourishment, shows major differences between the human and the commercial cow milk glycans detectable by the lectins PA-IL (galactose-binding) and PA-IIL (fucose and mannose-binding) isolated from the cells of human pathogen Pseudomonas aeruginosa. More than 40 human milk samples, several cow milks, and bovine milk-based infant formulas, were examined using these two lectins. For purposes of comparison, the plant lectins Concanavalin A (Con A), which binds mannose, and Ulex europaeus 1st lectin (UEA-I), which binds fucose, were also used. The most prominent difference was revealed using PA-IIL, which displayed a unique high sensitivity to the human milk fucosylated compounds. PA-IL and UEA-I also exhibited preferential sensitivity to the human milk but considerably lower than that of PA-IIL. Con A was inhibited by human and the other milk preparations examined to the same extent. These findings indicate the superb applicability of PA-IIL for rapid and reliable comparative investigation of milk glycans from human and cow, indicating which glycans could be added to infant formulas in order to enrich them, as well as for verification and quality control of otherwise improved bovine milk-based infant formulas.