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Sensory afferents in the mammary papilla are eliminated during the lactation

Kei Nakayama1, Kotoko Suzuki1, Yukiko Marunaka1

  • 1Laboratory of Hygienic Sciences, Kobe Pharmaceutical University, 4-19-1 Motoyamakita-machi, Higashinada-ku, Kobe 6588558, Japan.

Neuroscience Letters
|November 5, 2025
PubMed

Importance of breastfeeding is well recognized, since it supports the survival of mammalian infants. The mammary papilla, a specialized skin region for breastfeeding, acts as a vital interface between mother and infant: perceiving the suckling to trigger the milk ejection reflex in mother and transporting milk from mother to infants. Despite its crucial roles in breastfeeding, the histological and cellular changes in the mammary papilla during lactation remain poorly understood. In this study, we focused on the sensory afferent projection mediating somatosensory perception. Our observation revealed that the mammary papilla is innervated by non-peptidergic C-fibers, which engage in the mechanical nociception. Moreover, we found that these sensory afferents are eliminated in the mammary papilla of lactating females. These results propose the lactation-associated elimination of sensory afferents in the mammary papilla as a novel mechanism adaptive for the breastfeeding.

Keywords:
BreastfeedingC-fiberMammary papillaSensory afferent

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