Transfer and Integration of Breast Milk Stem Cells to the Brain of Suckling Pups
Beside its unique nutritional content breast milk also contains live cells from the mother. Fate of these cells in the offspring has not been adequately described. In this study, we aimed to detect and identify maternal cells in the suckling’s blood and the brain. Green fluorescent protein expressing transgenic female mice (GFP+) were used as foster mothers to breastfeed wildtype newborn pups. One week and two months after the birth, blood samples and brains of the sucklings were analyzed to detect presence of GFP+ cells by fluorescence activated cell sorting, polymerase chain reaction and immunohistochemistry on the brain sections and optically cleared brains. The tests confirmed that maternal cells were detectable in the blood and the brain of the pups and that they differentiated into both neuronal and glial cell types in the brain. This phenomenon represents breastfeeding – induced microchimerism in the brain with functional implications remain to be understood.
Epigenetic Programming Through Breast Milk and Its Impact on Milk-Siblings Mating
Background: The epigenetic effects of transmission of certain regulatory molecules, such as miRNAs, through maternal milk on future generations, are still unknown and have not been fully understood yet. We hypothesized that breastfeeding regularly by adoptive-mother may cause transmission of miRNAs as epigenetic regulating factors to the infant, and the marriage of milk-siblings may cause various pathologies in the future generations.
Results: A cross-fostering model using a/a and Avy/a mice had been established. F2 milk-sibling and F2 control groups were obtained from mating of milk-siblings or unrelated mice. Randomized selected animals in the both F2 groups were sacrificed for miRNA expression studies and the remainings were followed for phenotypic changes (coat color, obesity, hyperglycemia, liver pathology, and life span). The lifespan in the F2 milk-sibling group was shorter than the control group (387 vs 590 days, p = 0.011) and they were more obese during the aging period. Histopathological examination of liver tissues revealed abnormal findings in F2 milk-sibling group. In order to understand the epigenetic mechanisms leading to these phenotypic changes, we analyzed miRNA expression differences between offspring of milk-sibling and control matings and focused on the signaling pathways regulating lifespan and metabolism. Bioinformatic analysis demonstrated that differentially expressed miRNAs were associated with pathways regulating metabolism, survival, and cancer development such as the PI3K-Akt, ErbB, mTOR, and MAPK, insulin signaling pathways. We further analyzed the expression patterns of miR-186-5p, miR-141-3p, miR-345-5p, and miR-34c-5p and their candidate target genes Mapk8, Gsk3b, and Ppargc1a in ovarian and liver tissues.
Conclusion: Our findings support for the first time that the factors modifying the epigenetic mechanisms may be transmitted by breast milk and these epigenetic interactions may be transferred transgenerationally. Results also suggested hereditary epigenetic effects of cross-fostering on future generations and the impact of mother-infant dyad on epigenetic programming.
Genetic Material In Breastmilk – 3 Interesting Facts
Human breastmilk is the normal food for human babies. For this reason alone, science doesn’t have to prove its importance. Nonetheless, research has provided an overwhelming amount of scientific evidence about the importance of breastmilk for the health of babies and their mothers.
Breastmilk is a complex substance, and science is only beginning to unravel some of its complexities. It’s almost impossible to determine exactly what substances in breastmilk are specifically important for various health outcomes. It’s unlikely to be specific factors, but rather a host of factors acting together, that produce the desired outcome.
One thing that underlines the importance of breastfeeding is the fact that mothers pass on genetic material (e.g. exosomes, stem cells) to their babies through their breastmilk.
Human breast milk (HBM) is not only an indispensable source of nutrients for early human growth and development, supplying components that support infant growth and development, but also contains various essential immunologic components with anti-infectious activities and critical roles in the formation of immunity. It is also known that HBM contains its own unique microbiome, including beneficial, commensal, and potentially probiotic bacteria, that can contribute to infant gut colonization. In addition, HBM-derived extracellular vesicles, exosomes, and microRNA are attracting increasing interest for their potential to transfer to the infant and their role in infant development. In this article, we examine some of the various constituents in HBM and review the evidence supporting their associated health effects and their potential applications in human health.
Milking the System: A Case Study of Donor Milk for a Child in Foster Care
Abstract Introduction: Use of pasteurized donor milk is recommended in many situations when own mother’s milk is not available. One existing knowledge gap is access to donor milk for infants in government custody (foster care). Main issue: The focus of this case study is an infant born at 41 weeks who was discharged from the hospital into foster care. The infant soon developed failure to thrive due to formula intolerance. Management: After trying multiple formulas, which included elemental formulas, and hospitalization, the infant began pasteurized donor milk. Within 24 hr, the infant began gaining weight. Medicaid denied two authorization requests for payment, and the state’s Department of Human Services ultimately agreed to cover the discounted donor milk fees until the infant reached 1 year of age. Conclusion: This foster child suffered through months of failure to thrive and hospitalization before receiving human milk feedings. This care violated ethical principles of beneficence, autonomy, and justice. State officials should review their policies and regulations for providing human milk to children in their care and facilitate access to that milk when needed.
Human breast milk as a source of deoxyribonucleic acid for amplification
Summary Statement
Human milk is a viable source of DNA for pharmacogenetic studies, although unpasteurized samples demonstrate stronger amplification. Go to: Introduction
Studies consistently find beneficial effects of breastfeeding on overall maternal and infant health.(1) Breast-fed infants have a significantly lower incidence of respiratory infection, otitis media, diarrhea, and dehydration, as well as fewer signs and symptoms of atopic disease.(2-4) These health advantages underscore the importance of maintaining the breastfeeding relationship for mother and infant as long as possible.
Although many healthcare providers actively encourage breastfeeding for mothers and infants, there are clinical situations that require evidence-based information to inform breastfeeding management. One such situation is decision-making regarding the safety of continuing breastfeeding in the face of needed maternal medications.
The current evidence regarding medication and breastfeeding utilizes measurement of drug concentrations in human milk. While strides are being made in human milk pharmacology,(5) it is important to understand the potential role of genetic variability in drug disposition and clinical response- including the impact of genetic changes on drug concentrations in human milk. By identifying genetic factors that are associated with variability in drug concentrations in human milk, we may be able to prospectively provide better guidance to breastfeeding mothers needing to take medications. As in other areas of medical science, pharmacogenetics may be able to advance the human milk science regarding medication use and breastfeeding. In order to perform pharmacogenetic studies, researchers need to obtain deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) from a human biologic sample. Banked milk samples may help unlock some of the reasons for differences in response, toxicity, or milk drug concentrations if DNA could be extracted sufficiently from these specimens, making them useful for pharmacogenetic studies.
The purpose of this study was to determine whether or not DNA could be extracted from human milk in significant amounts to be clinically useful in pharmacogenetic studies. This approach may provide an explanation for inter-patient variability of drug expression into human milk and in exposure of the recipient infant. This is a first step toward integrating pharmacogenetics into human milk pharmacology and breastfeeding management.
A newborn gulping breast milk may be doing his or her genes good, researchers say.
Breast milk, but not formula, may improve the functioning of a baby's genes in a way that protects the infant from illness, according to a new study published in the May issue of the American Journal of Physiology, Gastrointestinal and Liver Physiology.
Scientists have long reported that breast is best. Breast milk-fed babies have stronger immune systems, fewer allergies and may be more resistant to chronic diseases, such as asthma, digestive disorders, and perhaps diabetes (Types I and II) and obesity.
You may have heard that breast milk is best. But what makes it so good for babies? Breast milk fills your baby’s health needs. Researchers are now learning more about what’s in it and how it changes as babies grow.
“Breastfeeding is the gold standard for feeding infants,” says Dr. Dan Raiten, an NIH expert on childhood nutrition. Human milk provides nutrients and other compounds that babies need to grow and develop. These include proteins, fats, carbohydrates, vitamins, and minerals.
Experts recommend that infants drink human milk exclusively for the first six months of life. If possible, they should continue drinking human milk, from the breast or that’s been pumped and placed in a bottle, for up to 12 months. Parents can add in other foods starting around six months.
Breastfeeding (sometimes called chestfeeding) lowers an infant’s risk for developing asthma, obesity, type 1 diabetes, ear infections, gut infections that cause diarrhea or vomiting, and sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS). It also benefits the mother, potentially lowering her risk of high blood pressure, type 2 diabetes, ovarian cancer, and breast cancer. It helps the parent-infant bonding process, too.
Human milk also provides infants with protection from germs. A baby’s immune system is not yet developed. So they don’t have many germ-fighting molecules, called antibodies. Breast milk passes the mother’s antibodies to the baby. This helps protect the child from germs until their immune system develops.
Breast milk contains many other biologically active components, too. “Human milk is not just a composite of individual components,” Raiten says. “It’s an active biological system.” The lactating (milk-producing) parent and infant interact and affect one another. That means what’s in human milk can change, even over the course of the day.
Take the molecules that regulate your body’s biological clocks, or circadian clocks. Your body has different amounts of these depending on the time of day. They signal when it’s time to wake, eat, and sleep. These are passed along to the baby through breast milk.
Researchers are just beginning to understand how milk composition affects babies’ short-term and long-term health. To learn more, NIH started the BEGIN project. This project is trying to untangle the biology behind milk production, how milk affects babies’ development, and how babies and their environment influence this system.
Some lactating parents don’t produce enough milk or may have physical issues that block milk from coming out. Others may be advised against breastfeeding if they’re taking certain medications or drugs or when they have certain illnesses.
For those who can’t breastfeed, formula is an option. “Formula is based on our best knowledge about the composition of human milk,” Raiten says. And that knowledge continues to evolve.
“If you can do it, breastfeeding is the best way to take care of your baby,” says Raiten. If you’re having trouble, talk with your health care provider.
Baby’s Cells Can Manipulate Mom’s Body for Decades
An evolutionary approach may help scientists understand why mothers become genetic chimeras and how that affects their health
Viviane Callier September 2, 2015 iStock_000048728706_Large.jpg Sure, it looks cute now, but a new study explores why babies influence their moms' DNA for years. PeopleImages/iStock
Mothers around the world say they feel like their children are still a part of them long after they've given birth. As it turns out, that is literally true. During pregnancy, cells from the fetus cross the placenta and enter the mother's body, where they can become part of her tissues.
This cellular invasion means that mothers carry unique genetic material from their children’s bodies, creating what biologists call a microchimera, named after the legendary beasts made of different animals. The phenomenon is widespread among mammals, and scientists have proposed a number of theories for how it affects the mother, from better wound healing to higher risk of cancer.
Breast Milk and the Blood Stream: How human milk is made
Yes, parts of breast milk come from blood! Just how is breast milk made? Today’s post covers the basics.
Let’s review some anatomy first, then go over how someone’s blood will influence their breast milk. Lastly, I’ll go over why this matters. A few words on breast anatomy for making milk
(It’s possible for someone to produce milk without being pregnant, but this is usually done under the care of a health care professional and includes prescription medications. For this article, I’ll focus on pregnancy and delivery prompting the hormone changes, as that is far more common. And, for clarity, I’m also going to use the term “mother” when referring to the breastfeeding parent.).
Humans have breast tissue in their chests. When someone is pregnant, hormones involved in the pregnancy trigger big changes in the breast tissue, preparing it to make milk.
After delivery, there are even more hormone changes and the mother’s body prepares to release the milk (in order to feed a baby, for example).
Usually a few days after delivery, we say the milk has “come in.” Once milk has “come in” and breast milk production is established, continued milk production is closely related to how often the breasts are emptied. The more often a baby feeds or a mom pumps milk, the more milk she’ll make.
(The physiology involved with the first few days of breastfeeding is beyond the scope of this post. To be clear, there is milk present before the full supply comes in. It’s called colostrum and is perfect for newborns. See this article for more details).