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Published on: September 22, 2019
Milk sialyllactose influences colitis in mice through selective intestinal bacterial colonization
Andrea Fuhrer1, Norbert Sprenger, Ekaterina Kurakevich
1Institute of Physiology and Center for Integrative Human Physiology, University of Zurich, 8057 Zurich, Switzerland.
The Journal of Experimental Medicine
|November 25, 2010
Summary
Infant exposure to sialyl(α2,3)lactose-deficient milk enhances resistance to colitis in adult mice. This protection is linked to altered gut microbiota colonization, influencing immune responses to inflammatory conditions like dextran sulfate sodium (DSS)-induced colitis.
Area of Science:
- Immunology
- Microbiology
- Nutrition
Background:
- Milk oligosaccharides play crucial roles in shaping the gut environment, acting as prebiotics and pathogen decoys.
- Sialylated milk oligosaccharides, such as sialyl(α2,3)lactose and sialyl(α2,6)lactose, are important components influencing host-microbe interactions.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the specific roles of sialyl(α2,3)lactose and sialyl(α2,6)lactose in milk on mucosal immunity and gut microbiota development.
- To determine the impact of early-life exposure to these sialylated oligosaccharides on susceptibility to dextran sulfate sodium (DSS)-induced colitis in adult mice.
Main Methods:
- Utilized α2,3- and α2,6-sialyltransferase-deficient mice to generate milk with specific sialyllactose deficiencies.
- Assessed the impact of milk composition on leukocyte populations and resistance to DSS-induced colitis in adult mice.
- Analyzed changes in intestinal microbiota composition and colonization patterns in response to varying milk oligosaccharide content.
Main Results:
- Early-life exposure to sialyl(α2,3)lactose-deficient milk conferred significant resistance to DSS-induced colitis in adult mice.
- Mice fostered on normal or sialyl(α2,6)lactose-deficient milk showed increased susceptibility to colitis compared to those on sialyl(α2,3)lactose-deficient milk.
- Absence of sialyl(α2,3)lactose in milk led to distinct intestinal microbiota colonization patterns, which protected germ-free mice against DSS-induced colitis.
Conclusions:
- Early-life exposure to specific sialylated milk oligosaccharides, particularly sialyl(α2,3)lactose, critically influences gut microbiota composition.
- These early-life microbial alterations mediated by milk oligosaccharides impact adult susceptibility to inflammatory bowel diseases like DSS-induced colitis.
- Findings highlight the long-term consequences of milk oligosaccharide composition on immune homeostasis and gut health.
