Abstract
Breast milk is a rich fluid containing bioactive compounds such as specific growth factors (GF) that contribute to maturation of the immune system in early life. The aim of this study was to determine whether transforming growth factor-β2 (TGF-β2), epidermal growth factor (EGF) and fibroblast growth factor 21 (FGF21), compounds present in breast milk, could promote systemic immune maturation. For this purpose, newborn Wistar rats were daily supplemented with these GF by oral gavage during the suckling period (21 days of life). At day 14 and 21 of life, plasma for immunoglobulin (Ig) quantification was obtained and spleen lymphocytes were isolated, immunophenotyped and cultured to evaluate their ability to proliferate and release cytokines. The main result was obtained at day 14, when supplementation with EGF increased B cell proportion to reach levels observed at day 21. At the end of the suckling period, all GF increased the plasma levels of IgG1 and IgG2a isotypes, FGF21 balanced the Th1/Th2 cytokine response and both EGF and FGF21 modified splenic lymphocyte composition. These results suggested that the studied milk bioactive factors, mainly EGF and FGF21, may have modulatory roles in the systemic immune responses in early life, although their physiological roles remain to be established.
Highlights
The World Health Organization (WHO) recommends exclusive breastfeeding during the first months of life [1]
We demonstrated that supplementation with epidermal growth factor (EGF), transforming growth factor-β2 (TGF-β2) and fibroblast growth factor 21 (FGF21) was able to promote intestinal lymphocyte maturation in newborn suckling rats [25]
Some authors researched the effects of transforming growth factor (TGF)-β2, EGF and FGF21 -growth factors present in breast milk- on gut-associated lymphoid tissue (GALT), but scarce evidence exists regarding the effects of these bioactive factors on systemic immunity in newborn rats [37]
Summary
The World Health Organization (WHO) recommends exclusive breastfeeding during the first months of life [1]. Breast milk has a perfect dynamic composition of nutrients and bioactive factors involved in the protection of the baby [2,3,4] It changes from colostrum, the first fluid produced by mothers after delivery, through to transitional milk, which is produced in the middle lactation period, to mature milk, which lasts until the end of the lactation period [2,5,6]. Whereas colostrum has the highest concentration of immune factors, transitional milk, different, shares some of its characteristics with mature milk because it is produced in a critical period to allow the nutritional and functional requirements of the rapidly developing newborn [5,8]
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