Abstract
Dietary choline is essential during lactation, but few studies have examined the implications of feeding a mixture of choline forms on immune function. This study investigates the impact of feeding lactating dams different mixtures of choline forms, similar to those in human diets, on the development and later immune function of suckled offspring. Sprague-Dawley lactating dams (n = 6/diet) were randomized to consume one of three diets, containing 1 g/kg choline: Control (100% free choline (FC)), Mixed Choline (MC: 50% phosphatidylcholine (PC), 25% FC, 25% glycerophosphocholine (GPC)), or High GPC (HGPC: 75% GPC, 12.5% PC, 12.5% FC). At weaning, female pups (n = 2/dam) were fed the Control diet until 10 weeks. At 3 weeks, MC and HGPC pups were heavier and their splenocytes had a higher proportion of helper T cells expressing CD25 and CD28 and produced less interferon gamma (IFN-γ) and tumor-necrosis factor-α (TNF-α) after Concanavalin A stimulation vs. Control pups (p < 0.05). At 10 weeks, MC and HGPC offspring had a lower proportion of macrophages and dendritic cells and produced less interleukin (IL)-1β but more IL-10 after lipopolysaccharide stimulation vs. Control pups (p < 0.05). In summary, feeding mixed choline diets during lactation improved T cell phenotype/function at the end of suckling and programmed a less inflammatory response later in life.
Highlights
Choline is an essential nutrient involved in lipid transport, methyl group donation, and the synthesis of acetylcholine and membrane phospholipids
We demonstrated that feeding a Mixed Choline (MC) diet or a High GPC (HGPC) diet to lactating dams enhances the growth of their offspring at the end of the suckling period
We have shown that the forms of choline in the maternal diet did not affect IL-2 production following stimulation by a T cell mitogen (ConA), which is a pleiotropic Th1 cytokine involved in many critical immune responses but most importantly in T cell growth and proliferation
Summary
Choline is an essential nutrient involved in lipid transport, methyl group donation, and the synthesis of acetylcholine and membrane phospholipids (reviewed in [1]). Choline can be created through de novo synthesis, the amount of biosynthesis that occurs in the body cannot sufficiently meet the daily requirements for humans, especially during critical periods of rapid development such as pregnancy and lactation [2]. The dietary Adequate Intake (AI) values for choline were set at 425 mg/day for women and increase during pregnancy and lactation to 450 mg/day and 550 mg/day, respectively [3]. Substantial development occurs during the suckling/lactation period for the brain [4], intestine/liver [5], and the immune system [6]. Using the Sprague-Dawley rat as a healthy rodent model, we have demonstrated that choline is required in the maternal diet during lactation for optimal immune function in the mother [7] as well as for the Nutrients 2017, 9, 567; doi:10.3390/nu9060567 www.mdpi.com/journal/nutrients
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