Early deficient lactation differentially affects neonatal thymic cortical development and humoral immune responses in rats

Sánchez, María Belén - Michel Lara, María Cecilia - Germanó, María José - Neira, Flavia Judith - Viruel, Luciana Belén - Tomsich, Jacqueline Lisset - Rodríguez-Camejo, Claudio - Troncoso, Mariana - Pietrobon, Elisa Olivia - Soaje, Marta - Hernández, Ana - Jara, Evelyn L. - Valdez, Susana Ruth - Mackern-Oberti, Juan Pablo

Resumen:

Hypoprolactinemia (hypoPRL) disrupts lactation and compromises milk production. Although maternal milk is a critical source of nutrients and bioactive compounds for newborns, the consequences of deficient lactation based on reduced milk quantity on the offspring’s immune development remain incompletely understood. Therefore, this study aimed to elucidate how deficient lactation due to hypoPRL interferes with offspring immunity and development. Female Sprague Dawley (SD) and spontaneous hypoPRL Oncins France Colony A (OFA) rats were euthanized on day 2 of lactation to assess the impact of hypoPRL on serum, milk, and tissue samples. We demonstrated that early deficient lactation in the OFA model impaired maternal performance, leading to increased pup mortality during early lactation. OFA pups exhibited reduced body weight and weight gain, decreased cerebral weight and index, and an increased cephalization index. Thymic development was markedly altered, as evidenced by reduced thymus weight, area, and cortical extension. These structural changes were accompanied by increased thymic Rag 1 expression, suggesting altered lymphocyte development. In parallel, passive immune transfer was compromised, with reduced levels of OVA-specific immunoglobulin isotypes detected in pup serum, reflecting changes in milk-derived immune support. In summary, maternal hypoPRL during early lactation adversely affects offspring growth and thymic maturation with lasting consequences for neonatal immune maturation. This study provides a novel experimental framework to investigate the consequences of lactation deficiency with potential implications for understanding lactation insufficiency and its impact on neonatal immune exposure.

Detalles Bibliográficos
2026
Prolactina
Leche
Lactancia
Timo
Anticuerpos
Respuesta inmunitaria humoral
Ratas
Inglés
Universidad de la República
COLIBRI
https://hdl.handle.net/20.500.12008/56198
Acceso abierto
Licencia Creative Commons Atribución (CC - By 4.0)