title: Milk-borne relaxin and reproductive system development.
abstract: A window of opportunity for maternal programming of neonatal development is open in the first few days of life as a consequence of nursing. Colostrum (first milk) supports neonatal development by providing a conduit for delivery of milk-borne bioactive factors, exemplified by relaxin, from mother to offspring as proposed in the lactocrine hypothesis. Relaxin, a prototypical milk-borne bioactive factor, is detectable in colostrum from multiple species, including the pig. Thus, relaxin serves as a model for understanding lactocrine signals that support development of neonatal tissues.
authors.forename: Carol A
authors.initials: CA
authors.lastname: Bagnell
authors.forename: Frank F
authors.initials: FF
authors.lastname: Bartol
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D003126:Colostrum / Q000378:metabolism*; D005260:Female; D007774:Lactation / Q000502:physiology*; D008892:Milk / Q000378:metabolism*; D011247:Pregnancy; D012065:Relaxin / Q000378:metabolism*; D015398:Signal Transduction / Q000502:physiology*; D034421:Sus scrofa; D014599:Uterus / Q000378:metabolism*
chemical_list: D012065:Relaxin