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Highest concentration of breast-milk-derived exosomes in colostrum
Motoki Ohta1, Shigeki Koshida2, Itsuki Jimbo3
1Department of Pediatrics, Shiga University of Medical Science, Otsu, Shiga, Japan.
Insights
Breast-milk-derived exosomes, crucial for immune regulation, are most abundant in colostrum. Their concentrations decrease significantly within two weeks postpartum, offering insights for neonatal disease therapies.
Area of Science:
- Extracellular vesicle research
- Neonatal immunology
- Biomarker discovery
Background:
- Exosomes are key mediators of intercellular immune regulation.
- Breast-milk exosomes show therapeutic potential for neonatal diseases like necrotizing enterocolitis.
- The temporal changes in breast-milk exosome levels post-delivery are not well understood.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the chronological changes in breast-milk-derived exosome concentrations after delivery.
- To establish baseline data for the clinical application of breast-milk exosomes in neonatal care.
Main Methods:
- A prospective study involving 17 mothers of premature infants in a neonatal intensive care unit.
- Consecutive measurement of breast-milk-derived exosome concentrations over 48 weeks postpartum.
Main Results:
- Median exosome concentration was highest in colostrum (1.62 × 10^8 particles/ml).
- Concentrations significantly decreased by 2 weeks postpartum (P < 0.01).
- No correlation found between colostrum exosome levels and maternal factors (parity, delivery mode, age, gestational age).
Conclusions:
- Breast-milk-derived exosomes are most concentrated in colostrum.
- This study provides foundational data on exosome dynamics post-delivery.
- Findings support the potential clinical use of exosomes for neonatal disease treatment.
Background:
Exosomes are nanosized extracellular vesicles, that play important roles in intercellular immune regulation. They have potential therapeutic utility for neonatal diseases including necrotizing enterocolitis. Breast-milk-derived exosomes have recently shown beneficial effects on intestinal damage in vitro and in vivo. However, the chronological change in breast-milk-derived exosome concentrations after delivery are unclear.
Methods:
In this prospective study, we enrolled 17 mothers who delivered premature infants admitted to a neonatal intensive care unit in Japan. We measured the consecutive concentrations of breast-milk-derived exosomes in the mothers for 48 weeks after delivery.
Results:
The median concentration of breast-milk-derived exosomes was 1.62 × 108 particles/ml in colostrum, showing a significant decrease after 2 weeks (P < 0.01). There was no association between the exosome concentration in colostrum and maternal perinatal factors including parity, mode of delivery, maternal age, and gestational age at delivery.
Conclusions:
We concluded that breast-milk-derived exosomes were the richest in colostrum. Our basic data regarding breast-milk-derived exosomes are expected to aid in the clinical application of exosomes for treating neonatal diseases.
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