Adiponectin, adipocyte fatty acid-binding protein and leptin in human breast milk and impact in the infant
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The global prevalence of metabolic syndrome is increasing epidemically. The reasons for this phenomenon are in part unclear. One of the factors which may play a role is the way of nutrition in the early postnatal period. The concept of programming is based on the hypothesis that factors that influence organisms in the critical developmental period determine the risk of diseases later in adulthood. It is presumed that these risks may be avoided by targeted specific nutrition during pregnancy and the early postnatal period. Positive role of human breast milk is mentioned in the relationship to nutritional programming in many situations, e.g. in the improvement of cognitive functions, possible decrease of incidence of autoimmune diseases (type I diabetes, inflammatory bowel diseases) and leucaemia in children and breastfed individuals tend to be less overweight or obese in childhood and adolescence. Biochemical substances responsible for the programming effects of human breast milk have not been identified yet. New components of human breast milk, especially regulatory hormones (RH) of food intake and glucose/lipid metabolism (adiponectin, leptin, ghrelin, adipocyte and epidermal fatty acid binding proteins (AFABP, EFABP), obestatin and other), are considered to influence nutritional status and might play a role in the development of components of metabolic syndrome later in adulthood. Previous studies describe the presence of leptin, adiponectin and AFABP in human colostrum as well as in full breast milk. This chapter describes information on RH in human breast milk and their pathophysiology as well as hypothesis on their potentional role in nutritional programming.