Abstract
Human milk oligosaccharides (HMOs) are present in maternal serum in early gestation, raising the question of whether HMOs can cross the placental barrier and reach fetal circulation. Here, we aimed to detect HMOs in cord blood, and assess HMO composition and concentration in relation to maternal HMOs. In an ex-vivo placental perfusion model, we asked whether HMOs can pass over the placenta. Using HPLC, we measured HMOs in maternal serum and matching venous cord blood samples collected at delivery from normal pregnancies (n = 22). To investigate maternal-to-fetal transport, we perfused isolated placental cotyledons from term pregnancies (n = 3) with 2’-fucosyllactose (2′FL) in a double closed setting. We found up to 18 oligosaccharides typically present in maternal serum in all cord serum samples investigated. Median total cord blood HMO concentration did not differ from the concentration in maternal serum. HMO composition resembled the composition in maternal serum, with the strongest correlations for 2′FL and LDFT. After 180 min perfusion, we found 22% of maternally offered 2′FL in the fetal circuit without reaching equilibrium. Our results provide direct evidence of HMOs in cord blood, and suggest that the placenta transfers HMOs from the maternal to fetal circuit. Future studies will investigate potential differences in the transfer of specific HMOs, or in pregnancy disorders.
Highlights
Human milk oligosaccharides (HMOs) are a complex blend of bioactive glycans in breast milk, offering a variety of potential benefits to the breast-fed neonate [1]
We found that relative abundances of individual concentrations in cord blood and maternal serum
Using an ex-vivo human placental perfusion model, we demonstrated that 20 -fucosyllactose (20 FL) is transported from the maternal to the fetal circuit
Summary
Human milk oligosaccharides (HMOs) are a complex blend of bioactive glycans in breast milk, offering a variety of potential benefits to the breast-fed neonate [1]. These include prebiotic effects on beneficial bacteria and anti-adhesive/anti-microbial functions against pathogens. Nutrients 2019, 11, 2640 inflammation [5,7,17,18], and metabolic functions [19], supporting the emerging paradigm of a crucial role for HMOs as signal molecules in the systemic circulation. As the structure of an HMO determines its function, the relative abundance of individual structures may shape the resulting effect of a complex HMO mixture [21]
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