Melnik Bodo C, Weiskirchen Ralf, Weiskirchen Sabine, Stremmel Wolfgang, John Swen M, Leitzmann Claus, Schmitz Gerd
Department of Dermatology, Environmental Medicine and Health Theory, University of Osnabrück, Osnabrück, Germany.
Institute of Molecular Pathobiochemistry, Experimental Gene Therapy and Clinical Chemistry (IFMPEGKC), RWTH University Hospital Aachen, Aachen, Germany.
Front Nutr. 2025 Jul 29;12:1652297. doi: 10.3389/fnut.2025.1652297. eCollection 2025.
Human milk serves as a transmitter for epigenetic programming involved in postnatal tissue development and organ maturation of the infant. In contrast to formula feeding (FF), prolonged breastfeeding (BF) has been associated with diabetes-preventive effects. Polymorphisms of the transcription factor 7-like 2 (TCF7L2), the key downstream effector of Wingless (Wnt) signaling, increase the risk of diabetes mellitus. Wnt signaling is crucial for β-cell development and proliferation. However, there is limited information regarding Wnt/β-catenin/TCF7L2-dependent effects of BF versus FF on postnatal β-cell progenitor cell development, β-cell proliferation and β-cell mass expansion. The objective of our literature review is to collect and analyze data to provide translational evidence that different components of human milk promote Wnt signaling. We will specifically focus on the variations in Wnt signaling in enteroendocrine L-cells and pancreatic β-cells in response to either FF or BF. FF-induced overstimulation of mTORC1 may suppress Wnt gene expression through S6K1-mediated histone H3K27 trimethylation (H3K27me3). Moreover, the absence of milk exosomal miRNAs in formula that target mRNAs of crucial Wnt inhibitors, as well as reduced levels of eicosapentaenoic acid and glutamine in formula, may further hinder appropriate Wnt signaling, negatively impacting intestinal stem cells, enteroendocrine L-cells and potentially β-cell progenitor cells. Overall, the evidence presented supports the conclusion that FF has a detrimental impact on the Wnt/β-catenin/TCF7L2-regulated enteroendocrine-islet axis, disrupting proper β-cell maturation and proliferation. We propose that human milk, compared to formula, offers optimized conditions for physiological Wnt signaling promoting adequate neonatal β-cell mass expansion, which could explain the early diabetes-preventive effects of prolonged BF.
母乳是婴儿出生后组织发育和器官成熟过程中表观遗传编程的传递者。与配方奶喂养(FF)相比,延长母乳喂养(BF)具有预防糖尿病的作用。转录因子7样2(TCF7L2)是无翅型(Wnt)信号通路的关键下游效应因子,其多态性会增加患糖尿病的风险。Wnt信号通路对β细胞的发育和增殖至关重要。然而,关于母乳喂养与配方奶喂养对出生后β细胞祖细胞发育、β细胞增殖和β细胞量扩增的Wnt/β-连环蛋白/TCF7L2依赖性影响的信息有限。我们文献综述的目的是收集和分析数据,以提供转化证据,证明母乳的不同成分可促进Wnt信号通路。我们将特别关注肠内分泌L细胞和胰腺β细胞中Wnt信号通路对配方奶喂养或母乳喂养的反应差异。配方奶诱导的mTORC1过度刺激可能通过S6K1介导的组蛋白H3K27三甲基化(H3K27me3)抑制Wnt基因表达。此外,配方奶中缺乏靶向关键Wnt抑制剂mRNA的乳外泌体miRNA,以及配方奶中二十碳五烯酸和谷氨酰胺水平降低,可能会进一步阻碍适当的Wnt信号通路,对肠道干细胞、肠内分泌L细胞以及潜在的β细胞祖细胞产生负面影响。总体而言,现有证据支持以下结论:配方奶喂养对Wnt/β-连环蛋白/TCF7L2调节的肠内分泌-胰岛轴有不利影响,并扰乱β细胞的正常成熟和增殖。我们提出,与配方奶相比,母乳为生理性Wnt信号通路提供了优化条件,促进了新生儿β细胞量的充分扩增,这可以解释延长母乳喂养预防糖尿病的早期效果。
Cochrane Database Syst Rev. 2017-5-25
Cochrane Database Syst Rev. 2017-3-15
Cochrane Database Syst Rev. 2006-10-18
Cochrane Database Syst Rev. 2014-12-15
Cochrane Database Syst Rev. 2023-8-29
Cochrane Database Syst Rev. 2016-12-6
IEEE J Transl Eng Health Med. 2025-4-10
Front Cell Dev Biol. 2025-1-9
Cancer Metastasis Rev. 2025-1-17
Molecules. 2024-12-11