Department of Endocrinology and Nutrition, Hospital Universitario de la Princesa, Instituto de Investigación Princesa, Universidad Autónoma de Madrid, 28006 Madrid, Spain.
Nutrients. 2020 Oct 8;12(10):3066. doi: 10.3390/nu12103066.
MicroRNAs (MiRNAs) are small RNA molecules that can exert regulatory functions in gene expression. MiRNAs have been identified in diverse tissues and biological fluids, both in the context of health and disease. Breastfeeding has been widely recognized for its superior nutritional benefits; however, a number of bioactive compounds have been found to transcend these well-documented nutritional contributions. Breast milk was identified as a rich source of miRNAs. There has been increasing interest about their potential ability to transfer to the offspring as well as what their specific involvement is within the benefits of breast milk in the infant. In comparison to breast milk, formula milk lacks many of the benefits of breastfeeding, which is thought to be a result of the absence of some of these bioactive compounds. In recent years, the miRNA profile of breast milk has been widely studied, along with the possible transfer mechanisms throughout the infant's digestive tract and the role of miRNA-modulated genes and their potential protective and regulatory functions. Nonetheless, to date, the current evidence is not consistent, as many methodological limitations have been identified; hence, discrepancies exits about the biological functions of miRNAs. Further research is needed to provide thorough knowledge in this field.
微小 RNA（miRNAs）是一种小 RNA 分子，可在基因表达中发挥调节作用。miRNAs 已在多种组织和生物液中被鉴定出来，包括健康和疾病状态。母乳喂养因其卓越的营养益处而得到广泛认可；然而，许多生物活性化合物已被发现超越了这些有充分记录的营养贡献。母乳被认为是 miRNAs 的丰富来源。人们越来越关注它们向后代转移的潜在能力，以及它们在母乳对婴儿的益处中具体涉及的内容。与母乳相比，配方奶缺乏母乳喂养的许多益处，这被认为是由于缺乏某些生物活性化合物所致。近年来，人们广泛研究了母乳的 miRNA 谱，以及在婴儿消化道中可能的转移机制，以及 miRNA 调节基因及其潜在保护和调节功能的作用。尽管如此，迄今为止，由于存在许多方法学限制，目前的证据并不一致；因此，miRNAs 的生物学功能存在差异。需要进一步的研究来提供该领域的全面知识。
