Potential Epigenetic Effects of Breast Milk and Breastfeeding on Infants

Abstract

The biological system is breast milk, which is nutritious and has functional components. According to current knowledge, breast milk is associated not only with improved growth parameters but also with better neurobehavioral development. It is also associated with the prevention of some infectious and non-infectious diseases. Although the exact mechanisms by which breastfeeding is linked to infant neurodevelopment are not yet known, the potential epigenetic effects of breast milk through its bioactive components, including non-coding RNAs, stem cells and microbiome, may at least partially explain this relationship. miRNAs; cause RNA modifications by affecting the protein expressions of target mRNAs and include the process of DNA methylation, histone modification and the effect of non-coding RNA. Micro and long non-coding RNAs found in milk exosomes and stem cells of breast milk survive digestion, reach the circulation and can cross the blood-brain barrier. In addition, human milk contributes to the establishment of the infant gut microbiome through its microbiota composition and bioactive components. This process may influence mechanisms related to brain development via epigenetic modifications and key molecular regulatory pathways. This review evaluates the relationship between breastfeeding, epigenetic processes, and infant neurodevelopment in light of current literature, highlighting the potential effects of human milk bioactive components on the neurodevelopment of both term and preterm infants.

Keywords

• Breast milk
• epigenetic
• DNA
• miRNA
• RNA

Anne Sütü ve Emzirmenin Bebekler Üzerindeki Potansiyel Epigenetik Etkileri

Abstract

Besleyici aynı zamanda işlevsel bileşenlere sahip olan anne sütü biyolojik sistemdir. Mevcut bilgilere göre anne sütü, yalnızca gelişmiş büyüme parametreleriyle, aynı zamanda daha iyi bir nöronal-davranışsal gelişimle de ilişkilidir. Ayrıca bazı bulaşıcı ve bulaşıcı olmayan hastalıkların önlenmesiyle de ilişkilidir. Anne sütüyle beslenmenin bebeklerin nörogelişimiyle bağlantılı olduğu kesin mekanizmalar henüz bilinmemekle birlikte, kodlamayan RNA'lar, kök hücreler ve mikrobiyom dahil olmak üzere biyoaktif bileşenleri aracılığıyla anne sütünün potansiyel epigenetik etkileri bu ilişkiyi en azından kısmen açıklayabilmektedir. miRNA'lar; hedef mRNA'ların protein ifadelerini etkileyerek RNA modifikasyonlarına neden olur ve DNA metilasyonu sürecini, histon modifikasyonunu ve kodlamayan RNA'nın etkisini içermektedir. Süt eksozomlarında bulunan mikro ve uzun kodlamayan RNA'ların ve anne sütünün kök hücreleri sindirime dayanır, dolaşıma ulaşır ve kan-beyin bariyerini geçebilmektedir. Ayrıca anne sütü, mikrobiyota içeriği ve biyoaktif bileşenleri aracılığıyla bebeğin bağırsak mikrobiyomunun oluşumuna katkıda bulunmaktadır. Bu süreç epigenetik modifikasyonlar ve anahtar moleküler düzenlemeler yoluyla beyin gelişimi ile ilişkili mekanizmaları etkileyebilmektedir. Bu derleme, anne sütüyle beslenme, epigenetik süreçler ve bebek nörogelişimi arasındaki ilişkiyi güncel literatür doğrultusunda değerlendirip, anne sütünün biyoaktif bileşenlerinin hem term hem de preterm bebeklerin nörogelişimi üzerindeki potansiyel etkilerini vurgulamaktadır.

Keywords

• Anne sütü
• epigenetik
• DNA
• miRNA
• RNA

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