HYPERTHYROIDISM ALTERS IMMUNE MILK QUALITY AND OFFSPRING NUTRITION

VIRUEL, L.B.; SANCHEZ MB; MICHEL LARA, MC; RODRIGUEZ-CAMEJO C; RIOS JM; PIETROBON EO; SOAJE M; HERNANDEZ A.; VALDEZ SR; MACKERN-OBERTI JP

San Luis

Congreso; LXXI ANNUAL MEETING OF THE ARGENTINEAN SOCIETY OF IMMUNOLOGY (SAI); 2023

Sociedad Argentina de Inmunología

Hyperthyroidism (hyperT) alters maternal behavior and disrupts milk productionin experimental models. However, it remains unclear if hyperT could changematernal milk's nutritional and immunological composition. We investigated theinfluence of hyperT on milk quality, bioactive components, offspring development,and immunity in early lactation. For this, 12-week-old Wistar rats were injectedwith 0.25 mg/kg T4 (hyperT n=20) and vehicle (control n=19), mated with Wistarmale rats and euthanized on day 2 of lactation (L2) to address this objective.Serum, spleen and milk from mothers and offspring serum were obtained forfurther analysis. Milk was obtained after ketamine/xylazine sedation and oxytocinstimulation for milking. Total IgG, IgG2a and IgA levels from mothers and offspringserums and milk were determined by ELISA. Nutritional components: totalproteins, reducing sugars (lactose), energy, and fat content were measured inmilk. Moreover, offspring developmental, biochemical, and hormonal parameterswere evaluated on L2. To assess whether maternal hyperT may have an immunesystemic effect, we analyzed the splenic weight and splenic index in mothers onL2. HyperT dams displayed higher serum levels of T4 and corticosterone thancontrol mothers. By contrast, T4 and corticosterone levels were reduced inoffspring from hyperT mothers (p