Maternal milk cytokines activate cognate receptors in the neonatal esophagus to program adult social behavior

Weill Medical Coll Of Cornell Univ, New York NY

Investigators

Abstract

Breast milk is superior to baby formula because, in addition to nutrients, it also contains immunoglobulins and antibacterial substances. Milk has many additional biologically active substances, including cytokines/chemokines, but their role in infant physical, mental, and cognitive development is not known. We reported that maternal physical activity during the postnatal period reduces the level of three cytokines/chemokines, LIF, CXCL1 and CXCL2, in milk that, in turn, increases the social dominance and reproductive fitness of the offspring. More recently, we identified the cognate receptors of these cytokines in the epithelioid layer of the neonatal esophagus, a localization that may explain the behavioral effect of the otherwise labile milk cytokines, especially in the digestive environment of the lower GI track. We propose experiments to determine how maternal milk cytokines reach and interact with their target cells/receptors in the neonatal GI track and signal to alter brain development and adult offspring behavior. The significance of the proposed work is that it will specify how the neonatal esophagus, an organ not known for its functional connection to the developing brain, can sense milk borne maternal cytokines and signal to the brain to alter its development and adult social behavior.