Maternal supplementation with a complex milk lipid mixture during pregnancy and lactation alters neonatal brain lipid composition but lacks effect on cognitive function in rats

Complex milk lipids (CMLs) provide a critical nutritional source for generating both energy and essential nutrients for the growth of the newborn. The present study investigated nutritional supplementation with a CML containing gangliosides and phospholipids in pregnant and lactating rats on learning behavior and postnatal growth in male offspring. Wistar female rats were supplemented during pregnancy and lactation with either control or CML to provide gangliosides at a dose of 0.01% (low) and 0.05% (high) based on total food intake. The CML-supplemented dams showed no differences in comparison to controls regarding growth, food intake, and litter characteristics. There were significant differences in brain composition in male offspring at postnatal day 2 (P2) with higher concentrations of gangliosides (high dose, P < .05) and lower concentrations of phospholipids (low and high dose, P < .05) in the CML-supplemented groups. The distribution of individual ganglioside species was not significantly different between treatment groups. Brain weight at P2 was also significantly higher in the CML groups. Differences in the brain composition and weight were not significant by weaning (P21). As adults (P80), adiposity was reduced in the low CML-supplemented group compared to controls. No significant differences were detected between any of the treatment groups in any of the behavioral tasks (water maze, object recognition, and operant learning). These data suggest that maternal supplementation with a CML during pregnancy and lactation is safe and has a significant early impact on brain weight and ganglioside and phospholipid content in offspring but did not alter long-term behavioral function using standard behavioral techniques.     

Supplementation with a mixture of complex lipids derived from milk to growing rats results in improvements in parameters related to growth and cognition

Alterations in nutritional factors during early development can exert long-term effects on growth, neural function, and associated behaviors. The lipid component of milk provides a critical nutritional source for generating both energy and essential nutrients for the growth of the newborn. The present study, therefore, investigated the hypothesis that nutritional supplementation with a complex milk lipid (CML) preparation, derived from the milk fat globule membrane rich in phospholipids and gangliosides from young rats, has beneficial effects on learning behavior and postnatal growth and development. Male Wistar rat offspring from normal pregnancies were treated from neonatal day 10 until postnatal day 80 with either vehicle or CML at a dose of 0.2% (low) and 1.0% (high) based on total food intake (n = 16 per group). Neonatal dosing was via daily oral gavage, while postweaning dosing was via gel supplementation to a standard chow diet. Animals underwent behavioral tasks related to spatial memory, learning, and cognitive function. Complex milk lipid supplementation significantly increased linear growth rate (P < .05), and the improved growth trajectory was not related to changes in body composition as quantified by dual-energy x-ray absorptiometry scanning or altered plasma lipid profiles. Moreover, this effect was not dose dependent and not attributable to the contribution to total energy intake of the CML composition. Supplementation of the CML to growing rats resulted in statistically significant improvements in parameters related to novelty recognition (P < .02) and spatial memory (P < .05) using standard behavioral techniques, but operant testing showed no significant differences between treatment groups. Supplementation with a CML containing gangliosides had positive growth and learning behavioral effects in young normal growing rats.     

Quantitation of serogroups in multivalent polysaccharide-based meningococcal vaccines: Optimisation of hydrolysis conditions and chromatographic methods

Quantitative determination of the individual polysaccharide components in multivalent meningococcal vaccines is an important step in manufacturing and regulatory control. Current methods are complicated due to the use of multiple chromatographic setups and/or other analytical techniques for the four meningococcal serogroup polysaccharides (A, C, Y, W135). In addition, different methods are sometimes used depending on whether or not the polysaccharide is conjugated to a carrier protein. In an effort to simplify such analyses, hydrolysis conditions were determined for the optimal yield of each characteristic saccharide from the respective repeating units. One condition was identified for mannosamine-6-phosphate from MenA, one for neuraminic acid from MenC, and one for both glucose and galactose from MenY and MenW135, respectively. These conditions, initially assessed for monovalent solutions, were then confirmed for a quadrivalent solution. The monosaccharide products were separated, identified and quantitated using a single HPAEC-PAD protocol, with a customised multi-stage linear gradient eluent profile and one column setup, for determination of all four serogroup components. Comparison to calibration curves constructed from sets of monosaccharide or hydrolysed polysaccharide standards allowed for the quantitation of each characteristic serogroup monosaccharide in polysaccharide and polysaccharide-conjugate vaccines. When required, molecular size separation using a non-cellulosic centrifugal filter device effectively removed all interfering saccharide excipient without loss of serogroup polysaccharides. These methods were used to analyse multiple lots of a number of different monovalent or multivalent real polysaccharide-based vaccine products, in liquid or lyophilised powder formulations, with or without excipients. The methods were demonstrated to be highly reproducible and very useful for the evaluation of antigen content and lot-to-lot consistency of manufacture. The methods described here represent an increase in precision, level of accuracy and efficiency compared to current methods, and may be adaptable for evaluation of other types of polysaccharide-based vaccines.     

The Role of n-3 Polyunsaturated Fatty Acids in the Prevention and Treatment of Breast Cancer

Breast cancer (BC) is the most common cancer among women worldwide. Dietary fatty acids, especially n-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFA), are believed to play a role in reducing BC risk. Evidence has shown that fish consumption or intake of long-chain n-3 PUFA, such as eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) and docosahexaenoic acid (DHA), are beneficial for inhibiting mammary carcinogenesis. The evidence regarding α-linolenic acid (ALA), however, remains equivocal. It is essential to clarify the relation between ALA and cancer since ALA is the principal source of n-3 PUFA in the Western diet and the conversion of ALA to EPA and DHA is not efficient in humans. In addition, the specific anticancer roles of individual n-3 PUFA, alone, have not yet been identified. Therefore, the present review evaluates ALA, EPA and DHA consumed individually as well as in n-3 PUFA mixtures. Also, their role in the prevention of BC and potential anticancer mechanisms of action are examined. Overall, this review suggests that each n-3 PUFA has promising anticancer effects and warrants further research.