Abstract
During lactation, dietary protein ingested by the mother may be transferred to the nursing infant. In this study, we sought to determine whether the uptake of protein was enhanced in lactating vs control mice. Lactating BDF1 mice (6-9 days postpartum) and age-matched nulliparous controls were gavaged with ovalbumin (OVA 10 mg in 0.5 ml saline). Blood was taken 15, 30, 60, and 120 min later and the serum concentration of OVA was measured by enzyme immunoassay (EIA).
The concentration of OVA in the serum of lactators was significantly greater at 30 and 60 min. There was no difference in serum (iOVA) on day 1 of lactation, but the differences noted at mid-lactation were maintained through day 18. Plasma volume and clearance of OVA from the circulation may influence serum OVA concent ration. The plasma volume of lactators was found to be 2-fold greater than that of controls. The rate of clearance of unlabelled OVA injected intravenously was not different in the 2 groups. We conclude that the difference in serum concentration of OVA was associated with greater protein uptake from gut in lactating versus control mice.
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Harroatz, P., Hanson, D., Brown, M. et al. INTESTINAL ADAPTATION DURING LACTATION IN THE MOUSE: ENHANCED UPTAKE OF DIETARY PROTEIN ANTIGEN. Pediatr Res 21 (Suppl 4), 269 (1987). https://doi.org/10.1203/00006450-198704010-00612
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1203/00006450-198704010-00612