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Mammary cells synthesize appetite hormones that may contribute to breastmilk (38.8)
Author(s) -
Hassiotou Foteini,
Savigni Donna,
Hartmann Peter,
Geddes Donna
Publication year - 2014
Publication title -
the faseb journal
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.709
H-Index - 277
eISSN - 1530-6860
pISSN - 0892-6638
DOI - 10.1096/fasebj.28.1_supplement.38.8
Subject(s) - appetite , leptin , ghrelin , hormone , endocrinology , medicine , lactation , biology , obesity , pregnancy , genetics
Breastmilk contains appetite hormones, which may participate in both short‐term appetite control in breastfed infants and developmental programming protecting against adult obesity. Breastmilk appetite hormones have been thought to originate from the maternal bloodstream. It is unknown whether they are also synthesized endogenously by mammary cells. In this study, we accessed mammary cells from the human lactating breast via freshly expressed breastmilk and examined expression of appetite genes at the mRNA and protein levels using RT‐PCR and FACS. Sections from rare specimens of human resting and lactating breast were stained for expression of these hormones, which included leptin and its receptor, ghrelin, adiponectin, and resistin. Transcript for these hormones was detected in breastmilk cells at varying levels among women. FACS analysis of breastmilk cells showed that leptin was expressed in mature cells, such as lactocytes and myoepithelial cells, as well as in stem cells. This was confirmed in the breast specimens examined, with heterogeneity in expression not only between the two epithelial layers, but also amongst different lobules for all appetite hormones, which were more strongly expressed in the lactating than the resting breast. These findings provide comprehensive evidence of the synthesis of appetite hormones in the female breast, with a marked upregulation during lactation.