Metabolomic Diversity of Human Milk Cells over the Course of Lactation-A Preliminary Study.

Fecha de publicación: 22/02/2023 Fecha Ahead of Print: 22/02/2023

Autores de IIS La Fe

• Isabel Ten Doménech

  Autor

• Mari Merce Cascant Vilaplana

  Autor

• Alba Moreno Giménez

  Autor

• María José Gormaz Moreno

  Autor

• 

  Marta Moreno Torres

  Autor

• Guillermo Quintas Soriano

  Autor

• Julia Kuligowski

  Autor

Participantes ajenos a IIS La Fe

• Navarro-Esteve, Victor
• Felderer, Birgit
• Rienda, Ivan
• Perez-Guaita, David

Grupos

• Hepatología experimental y Trasplante hepático

  Investigador Principal

  Laia Tolosa Pardo

• Perinatología

  

  Leader

  Máximo Vento Torres

• Unidad Mixta de Investigación en Hepatología Experimental

  

  Investigador Principal

  Ramiro Jover Atienza

Abstract

Human milk (HM) is a complex biofluid containing a wide cell variety including epithelial cells and leukocytes. However, the cellular compositions and their phenotypic properties over the course of lactation are poorly understood. The aim of this preliminary study was to characterize the cellular metabolome of HM over the course of lactation. Cells were isolated via centrifugation and the cellular fraction was characterized via cytomorphology and immunocytochemical staining. Cell metabolites were extracted and analyzed using ultra-performance liquid chromatography coupled to quadrupole time-of-flight mass spectrometry (UPLC-QqTOF-MS) in the positive and negative electrospray ionization modes. Immunocytochemical analysis revealed a high variability of the number of detected cells with relative median abundances of 98% of glandular epithelial cells, 1% of leukocytes, and 1% of keratinocytes. Significant correlations between the milk postnatal age with percentage of epithelial cells and leukocytes, and with total cell count were observed. Results from the Hierarchical Cluster Analysis of immunocytochemical profiles were very similar to those observed in the analysis of the metabolomic profiles. In addition, metabolic pathway analysis showed alterations in seven metabolic pathways correlating with postnatal age. This work paves the way for future investigations on changes in the metabolomic fraction of the cellular compartment of HM.

Keywords

• human milk cells; infant nutrition; metabolomics; preterm infant; ultra-performance liquid chromatography–mass spectrometry (UPLC-MS)