Is milk a conduit for developmental signals?
The diverse role of milk in the neonate is slowly expanding beyond nutritional and immunological borders to include possible developmental roles for the numerous hormones and growth factors found in this medium. Yet, despite the growing list of milk-borne factors, the precise impact of each of these on the neonate remains to be elucidated. The focus of this review is to summarize studies from our laboratory which demonstrate clearly that milk-borne factors play an obligatory role in the postnatal development of at least one organ, the anterior pituitary gland.
Nusser
K D
KD
The Vollum Institute, Oregon Health Sciences University, Portland 29201, USA.
Frawley
L S
LS
D000818:Animals; D002454:Cell Differentiation; D006128:Growth; D006133:Growth Substances / Q000378:metabolism; D006728:Hormones / Q000378:metabolism; D006801:Humans; D008892:Milk / Q000378:metabolism*; D010903:Pituitary Gland, Anterior / Q000166:cytology / Q000254:growth & development / Q000378:metabolism; D011388:Prolactin / Q000378:metabolism; D015398:Signal Transduction
D006133:Growth Substances; D006728:Hormones; D011388:Prolactin