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Human mammary gland function at the onset of lactation: medium‐chain fatty acid synthesis
Author(s) -
Spear M. L.,
Bitman J.,
Hamosh M.,
Wood D. L.,
Gavula D.,
Hamosh P.
Publication year - 1992
Publication title -
lipids
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.601
H-Index - 120
eISSN - 1558-9307
pISSN - 0024-4201
DOI - 10.1007/bf02535871
Subject(s) - colostrum , lactation , mammary gland , lipidology , fatty acid , clinical chemistry , endocrinology , medicine , pregnancy , biology , chemistry , biochemistry , immunology , antibody , genetics , cancer , breast cancer
The onset of medium‐chain fatty acid synthesis in the human mammary gland was investigated. Colostrum and serum were collected from 31 healthy women and the fatty acid composition of total lipid was analyzed by gas‐liquid chromatography. Although colostrum/serum ratios for most fatty acids range from 0.7–2.4, very low levels of 10∶0 and 12∶0 were present in serum lipids as compared to much higher concentrations of these fatty acids in colostrum lipids (colostrum/serum ratio 16.23 and 17.11 for 10∶0 and 12∶0, respectively). We have previously found that medium‐chain fatty acid levels are very low in prepartum mammary secretions (6–10 wk before term delivery) but are higher and similar in colostrum of women who deliver preterm (3–14 wk) or at full term. The data indicate that parturition, irrespective of length of pregnancy, is the trigger for medium‐chain fatty acid synthesis in the human mammary gland.