title: Dietary supplementation with bovine-derived milk fat globule membrane lipids promotes neuromuscular development in growing rats.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  The milk fat globule membrane (MFGM) is primarily composed of polar phospho- and sphingolipids, which have established biological effects on neuroplasticity. The present study aimed to investigate the effect of dietary MFGM supplementation on the neuromuscular system during post-natal development.
  
  
  METHODS
  Growing rats received dietary supplementation with bovine-derived MFGM mixtures consisting of complex milk lipids (CML), beta serum concentrate (BSC) or a complex milk lipid concentrate (CMLc) (which lacks MFGM proteins) from post-natal day 10 to day 70.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Supplementation with MFGM mixtures enriched in polar lipids (BSC and CMLc, but not CML) increased the plasma phosphatidylcholine (PC) concentration, with no effect on plasma phosphatidylinositol (PI), phosphatidylethanolamine (PE), phosphatidylserine (PS) or sphingomyelin (SM). In contrast, muscle PC was reduced in rats receiving supplementation with both BSC and CMLc, whereas muscle PI, PE, PS and SM remained unchanged. Rats receiving BSC and CMLc (but not CML) displayed a slow-to-fast muscle fibre type profile shift (MyHCI → MyHCIIa) that was associated with elevated expression of genes involved in myogenic differentiation (myogenic regulatory factors) and relatively fast fibre type specialisation (Myh2andNfatc4). Expression of neuromuscular development genes, including nerve cell markers, components of the synaptogenic agrin-LRP4 pathway and acetylcholine receptor subunits, was also increased in muscle of rats supplemented with BSC and CMLc (but not CML).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  These findings demonstrate that dietary supplementation with bovine-derived MFGM mixtures enriched in polar lipids can promote neuromuscular development during post-natal growth in rats, leading to shifts in adult muscle phenotype.
authors.affiliation: Liggins Institute, The University of Auckland, Private Bag 92019, Auckland, 1142 New Zealand.
authors.forename: James F
authors.initials: JF
authors.lastname: Markworth
authors.affiliation: Liggins Institute, The University of Auckland, Private Bag 92019, Auckland, 1142 New Zealand.
authors.forename: Brenan
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Durainayagam
authors.affiliation: Liggins Institute, The University of Auckland, Private Bag 92019, Auckland, 1142 New Zealand.
authors.forename: Vandre C
authors.initials: VC
authors.lastname: Figueiredo
authors.affiliation: Liggins Institute, The University of Auckland, Private Bag 92019, Auckland, 1142 New Zealand.
authors.forename: Karen
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Liu
authors.affiliation: Liggins Institute, The University of Auckland, Private Bag 92019, Auckland, 1142 New Zealand.
authors.forename: Jian
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Guan
authors.affiliation: Fonterra Research and Development Centre, Private Bag 11029, Palmerston North, 4442 New Zealand.
authors.forename: Alastair K H
authors.initials: AKH
authors.lastname: MacGibbon
authors.affiliation: Fonterra Research and Development Centre, Private Bag 11029, Palmerston North, 4442 New Zealand.
authors.forename: Bertram Y
authors.initials: BY
authors.lastname: Fong
authors.affiliation: Fonterra Research and Development Centre, Private Bag 11029, Palmerston North, 4442 New Zealand.
authors.forename: Aaron C
authors.initials: AC
authors.lastname: Fanning
authors.affiliation: Fonterra Co-operative Group Ltd, Palmerston North, 4442 New Zealand.
authors.forename: Angela
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Rowan
authors.affiliation: Fonterra Research and Development Centre, Private Bag 11029, Palmerston North, 4442 New Zealand.
authors.forename: Paul
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: McJarrow
authors.affiliation: Liggins Institute, The University of Auckland, Private Bag 92019, Auckland, 1142 New Zealand.
authors.forename: David
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Cameron-Smith
keywords: Agrin; Complex milk lipids; Muscle; Myogenesis; Nerve