Interesting thesis covering breastfeeding, immune system and gene expression.

[Momtezuma Tuatara]

http://contentdm.lib.byu.edu/ETD/image/etd1717.pdf (http://contentdm.lib.byu.edu/ETD/image/etd1717.pdf).


THE ROLE OF PROLACTIN IN REGULATING CCL28 EXPRESSION
Jennie “Sam” Hyde
Department of Microbiology and Molecular Biology
Master of Science


Infants are born with naive immune systems, making them susceptible to a variety of infections. In order to protect the newborn infant it is important that mothers be able to pass protective IgA antibodies to their infants through breast milk. B cells that produce IgA enter the mammary tissue during lactation and secrete IgA into the milk. During pregnancy, the mammary tissue expresses high levels of chemokines, molecules that allow lymphocytes to selectively home to specific tissues. The chemokine CCL28 has been shown to be upregulated during both pregnancy and lactation, and is vital for the ability of IgA-producing B cells to home to the mammary tissue during lactation. The aim of this study was to determine whether CCL28 expression is regulated by prolactin signaling.





Don't be intimidated by the language.



With deference to Spy, treat it like a Russian novel, ignoring the big word, and surface snorkelling, so that you get the jist.




I've talked about gene expression before, and breastfeeding is crucial to this. page 8 in this thesis says,



The hormones produced during pregnancy often work synergistically to increase gene expression. Some genes (such as the milk protein -casein) require that both prolactin and cortisol be present in order for strong expression to be induced, although each can induce low levels of gene expression alone [24].



To simplify the issues, think of gene expression as the orchestra conductor. If gene expression doesn't occur in the way it's designed to, or is switched off by using the wrong "triggers", then the health of the baby suffers. correct gene expression in the first two years is absolutely crucial, because the inflence of gene expression on the baby's developement, is running about 400 times faster than at any other time in life.



So yeah, reading this may be like sucking limes for some of you, but isn't this what you want to read? :giggle:

[Momtezuma Tuatara]

Here's another thesis, 2000, which is also useful, and important.


HUMAN MILK IMMUNOLOGY
IN RELATION TO THE DEVELOPMENT OF
COW’S MILK ALLERGY IN THE BREAST-FED
Kirsi-Marjut Järvinen

http://ethesis.helsinki.fi/julkaisut/laa/kliin/vk/jarvinen/humanmil.pdf

[Anastasia]

My head hurts far too much to even try to read that stuff right now but I can't wait to read and try to understand it!!!

[Momtezuma Tuatara]

It's not that hard Anastasia. You just think it's hard, because we've been conditioned to think that only doctors can understand this stuff. You go slowly and by the time you get to the end, you'll be surprised at how much you did understand.

[Serephina]

Thanks Hilary, this stuff is right up my alley. Just need a spare hour or two to get through it all :giggle:

[Epona]

It's not that hard Anastasia. You just think it's hard, because we've been conditioned to think that only doctors can understand this stuff. You go slowly and by the time you get to the end, you'll be surprised at how much you did understand.

ITA! The more you read of this stuff, the more you automatically decipher it as you go along. Its VERY useful to read these things... reading between the lines has helped me gain a huge amount of understanding on certain topics. :)

[Nirvana]

The first link isn't working for me. I tried copy and paste into new page with www but still no luck.

[3monkeys]

Thanks Hilary, this stuff is right up my alley. Just need a spare hour or two to get through it all :giggle:

Yep same, its the spare few hours to sit and read..... BUT in saying that I am glad that the resource is here and I can sit and read different things when the kids allow it.

[Momtezuma Tuatara]

Fixed. But if that happens again, and you don't want to wait for me to fix it, copy and paste it into the exact phrase in an advanced google search, and it will come up.