A group of researchers from Tohoku University, the University of Tokyo, Osaka University, Osaka Ohtani University, California University, etc. have clarified the mechanism by which antibodies in breast milk are produced.
Antibodies (immunoglobulins) in breast milk are one of the proteins secreted from plasma cells and transferred to mothers and children, and are important immune substances essential for the health of offspring.
This time, the group found that when antibodies in breast milk are produced, antibody-producing cells migrate from the intestinal tract far from the mammary glands.In the intestinal tract, there is a lymphoid tissue called Peyer's patch, which is involved in immune function. B cells differentiate into plasma cells in the process of migration.It is assumed that the antibody in breast milk is found to be produced from plasma cells after arriving at the mammary gland.
It was also found that the immune function of the maternal intestine during the lactation period may be enhanced by specific intestinal microorganisms (eg, B. acidifaciens, P. buccalis) that inhabit the intestine.When these microorganisms in the intestinal tract of the mother during the lactation period were sterilized with antibiotics, the amount of antibody in breast milk was significantly reduced.Conversely, when these microorganisms were orally administered to the mother, the amount of antibody in breast milk increased significantly.
This study revealed that the cells that produce antibodies in breast milk are derived from the intestinal tract far from the mammary gland, and a new point of view for promoting antibody production in breast milk was found.This result is expected to lead to technology for strengthening immune function through breast milk of humans and animals through application to the development of probiotics for mothers during the lactation period.
Paper information:[Cell Reports] The gut microbiota induces Peyer's patch-dependent secretion of maternal IgA into milk
