title: Vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) is present in human breast milk and its receptor is present on intestinal epithelial cells.
abstract: VEGF (vascular endothelial growth factor) is a multifunctional cytokine active on blood vessel cells. The present study measured VEGF in the aqueous phase of human milk and examined how the concentration varied with gestational age and the duration of lactation after birth. We hypothesized that VEGF-specific receptors were present on the apical surface of intestinal epithelial cells. The concentration of monomeric VEGF (containing 165 residues) measured by ELISA in the breast milk was 2 orders of magnitude greater than that measured in the serum of normal adults. The VEGF165 concentration in the first week of lactation was greater in the breast milk of mothers of full-term than in preterm babies (p < 0.05). The concentration in the breast milk of mothers of full-term infants decreased (p < 0.01) after the first week of lactation. Scatchard analysis of radioligand-receptor binding showed the presence of specific receptors for 125I-VEGF165 on the surface of Caco-2, an intestinal epithelial cell line, with a kd of 2.85 to 4 nM. Reverse transcriptase PCR of Caco-2 cell RNA showed mRNA for the VEGF receptor flt-1. In conclusion, VEGF is present in high concentrations in breast milk and binds to specific receptors on cells derived from intestinal epithelium.
authors.affiliation: Developmental Gastroenterology Laboratory, Harvard Clinical Nutrition Research Center, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, USA.
authors.forename: C G
authors.initials: CG
authors.lastname: Siafakas
authors.forename: F
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Anatolitou
authors.forename: R D
authors.initials: RD
authors.lastname: Fusunyan
authors.forename: W A
authors.initials: WA
authors.lastname: Walker
authors.forename: I R
authors.initials: IR
authors.lastname: Sanderson
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D001667:Binding, Competitive; D016228:Endothelial Growth Factors / Q000032:analysis* / Q000097:blood; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D007234:Infant, Premature; D007413:Intestinal Mucosa / Q000378:metabolism; D007457:Iodine Radioisotopes; D007700:Kinetics; D007774:Lactation / Q000502:physiology*; D008222:Lymphokines / Q000032:analysis* / Q000097:blood; D008895:Milk, Human / Q000737:chemistry*; D011869:Radioligand Assay; D020794:Receptor Protein-Tyrosine Kinases / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D017978:Receptors, Growth Factor / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D040262:Receptors, Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor; D012016:Reference Values; D020133:Reverse Transcriptase Polymerase Chain Reaction; D013997:Time Factors; D014158:Transcription, Genetic; D014407:Tumor Cells, Cultured; D042461:Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor A; D042442:Vascular Endothelial Growth Factors
chemical_list: D016228:Endothelial Growth Factors; D007457:Iodine Radioisotopes; D008222:Lymphokines; D017978:Receptors, Growth Factor; C467484:VEGFA protein, human; D042461:Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor A; D042442:Vascular Endothelial Growth Factors; D020794:Receptor Protein-Tyrosine Kinases; D040262:Receptors, Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor