title: Choline is required in the diet of lactating dams to maintain maternal immune function.
abstract: Choline demands during lactation are high; however, detailed knowledge is lacking regarding the optimal dietary intake during this critical period. The present study was designed to determine the effects of varying intakes of choline on maternal immune function during lactation. Primiparous Sprague-Dawley rats (n 42) were randomised 24-48 h before birth and fed the following diets for 21 d: choline-devoid (0 g choline/kg diet; D, n 10); 1·0 g choline/kg diet (C1, n 11); 2·5 g choline/kg diet (C2·5, n 10); 6·2 g choline/kg diet (C6, n 11). Splenocytes were isolated and stimulated ex vivo with concanavalin A, lipopolysaccharide (LPS) or CD3/CD28. D and C6 dams had lower final body weight, spleen weight and average pup weight than C1 dams (P< 0·05). There was a linear relationship between free choline concentration in pup stomach contents with maternal dietary choline content (P< 0·001, r² 0·415). Compared with C1 and C2·5, D spleens had a lower proportion of mature T cells and activated suppressor cells, and this resulted in reduced cytokine production after stimulation (P< 0·05). Feeding 6·2 g choline/kg diet resulted in a higher cytokine production after stimulation with CD3/CD28 (P< 0·05). Except for a higher IL-6 production after LPS stimulation with cells from the C2·5 dams (P< 0·05), there were no differences between the C1 and C2·5 dams. For the first time, we show that feeding lactating mothers a diet free of choline has substantial effects on their immune function and on offspring growth. Additionally, excess dietary choline had adverse effects on maternal and offspring body weight but only minimal effects on maternal immune function.
authors.affiliation: Department of Agricultural,Food and Nutritional Science, University of Alberta, 4-126A Li Ka Shing Centre for Health Research Innovation,Edmonton,AB,CanadaT6G 2E1.
authors.forename: Neele S
authors.initials: NS
authors.lastname: Dellschaft
authors.affiliation: Department of Agricultural,Food and Nutritional Science, University of Alberta, 4-126A Li Ka Shing Centre for Health Research Innovation,Edmonton,AB,CanadaT6G 2E1.
authors.forename: Megan R
authors.initials: MR
authors.lastname: Ruth
authors.affiliation: Department of Agricultural,Food and Nutritional Science, University of Alberta, 4-126A Li Ka Shing Centre for Health Research Innovation,Edmonton,AB,CanadaT6G 2E1.
authors.forename: Susan
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Goruk
authors.affiliation: Department of Agricultural,Food and Nutritional Science, University of Alberta, 4-126A Li Ka Shing Centre for Health Research Innovation,Edmonton,AB,CanadaT6G 2E1.
authors.forename: Erin D
authors.initials: ED
authors.lastname: Lewis
authors.affiliation: Department of Agricultural,Food and Nutritional Science, University of Alberta, 4-126A Li Ka Shing Centre for Health Research Innovation,Edmonton,AB,CanadaT6G 2E1.
authors.forename: Caroline
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Richard
authors.affiliation: Department of Agricultural,Food and Nutritional Science, University of Alberta, 4-126A Li Ka Shing Centre for Health Research Innovation,Edmonton,AB,CanadaT6G 2E1.
authors.forename: René L
authors.initials: RL
authors.lastname: Jacobs
authors.affiliation: Department of Agricultural,Food and Nutritional Science, University of Alberta, 4-126A Li Ka Shing Centre for Health Research Innovation,Edmonton,AB,CanadaT6G 2E1.
authors.forename: Jonathan M
authors.initials: JM
authors.lastname: Curtis
authors.affiliation: Department of Agricultural,Food and Nutritional Science, University of Alberta, 4-126A Li Ka Shing Centre for Health Research Innovation,Edmonton,AB,CanadaT6G 2E1.
authors.forename: Catherine J
authors.initials: CJ
authors.lastname: Field
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001835:Body Weight / Q000187:drug effects; D002794:Choline / Q000494:pharmacology*; D004032:Diet; D019587:Dietary Supplements; D004305:Dose-Response Relationship, Drug; D002149:Energy Intake; D005260:Female; D015850:Interleukin-6 / Q000097:blood; D007774:Lactation; D008099:Liver / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism; D008297:Male; D039382:Maternal Nutritional Physiological Phenomena / Q000276:immunology*; D011247:Pregnancy; D051381:Rats; D017207:Rats, Sprague-Dawley
chemical_list: D015850:Interleukin-6; D002794:Choline
keywords: Choline; Growth; Immunology; Lactation period; Spleen