Impact of Donor Human Milk in the Preterm Very Low Birth Weight Gut Transcriptome Profile by Use of Exfoliated Intestinal Cells.

Anna Parra-Llorca,Máximo Vento,Maria Cernada,Maria Carmen Collado,Isabel Torres-Cuevas,Sheila Lorente-Pozo,María Gormaz,Ana García-Robles,Julia Kuligoswki,Eva Serna

doi:10.3390/nu11112677

Anna Parra-Llorca, Máximo Vento + Show 8 more

Open Access

https://doi.org/10.3390/nu11112677

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Abstract

Background: Own mother’s milk (OMM) is the optimal nutrition for preterm infants. However, pasteurized donor human milk (DHM) is a valid alternative. We explored the differences of the transcriptome in exfoliated epithelial intestinal cells (EEIC) of preterm infants receiving full feed with OMM or DHM. Methods: The prospective observational study included preterm infants ≤ 32 weeks’ gestation and/or ≤1500 g birthweight. Total RNA from EEIC were processed for genome-wide expression analysis. Results: Principal component analysis and unsupervised hierarchical clustering analysis revealed two clustered groups corresponding to the OMM and DHM groups that showed differences in the gene expression profile in 1629 transcripts. The OMM group overexpressed lactalbumin alpha gene (LALBA), Cytochrome C oxidase subunit I gene (COX1) and caseins kappa gene (CSN3), beta gene (CSN2) and alpha gene (CSN1S1) and underexpressed Neutrophil Cytosolic Factor 1 gene (NCF1) compared to the DHM group. Conclusions: The transcriptomic analysis of EEIC showed that OMM induced a differential expression of specific genes that may contribute to a more efficient response to a pro-oxidant challenge early in the postnatal period when preterm infants are at a higher risk of oxidative stress. The use of OMM should be strongly promoted in preterm infants.

Highlights

Prematurity causes annually about 1 million neonatal deaths worldwide and is the second cause of neonatal and under five-years childhood mortality [1,2]
donated human milk (DHM) protects against necrotizing enterocolitis (NEC) [9]; pasteurization and freezing processes alter the biological activity and concentration of several biological factors and biomolecules present in DHM [10]
We studied the transcriptomic profile in epithelial intestinal cells (EEIC) collected from preterm infants fed own mother’s milk (OMM) and compared to those fed with pasteurized DHM

Summary

Introduction

Prematurity causes annually about 1 million neonatal deaths worldwide and is the second cause of neonatal and under five-years childhood mortality [1,2]. Preterm infants have an immature antioxidant defense system [3], and clinical therapies, such as radiation, parenteral nutrition, mechanical ventilation, or antibiotics increase oxidative stress-related conditions [4,5]. Breast milk provides antioxidant protection [7], and premature infants fed human milk (HM) had lower levels of oxidative stress-related biomarkers than those fed with formula [8]. Donor human milk (DHM) is a valid alternative when their own mother’s milk (OMM) is unavailable. Own mother’s milk (OMM) is the optimal nutrition for preterm infants. Pasteurized donor human milk (DHM) is a valid alternative. We explored the differences of the transcriptome in exfoliated epithelial intestinal cells (EEIC) of preterm infants receiving full feed with OMM or DHM. The OMM group overexpressed lactalbumin alpha gene (LALBA), Cytochrome C oxidase subunit I gene (COX1) and caseins kappa gene (CSN3), beta gene (CSN2) and alpha gene (CSN1S1) and underexpressed Neutrophil Cytosolic

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