Maternal Purified Fiber-Enriched Akkermansia muciniphila Regulates Lactation and Offspring Growth via the Gut-Mammary Axis
Maternal dietary fiber supplementation modulates gut microbiota and its metabolites, benefiting offspring health with unclear mechanism. In this study, we used a sow model and found that increasing dietary purified fiber improved offspring weight and enhanced their resistance to LPS-induced intestinal injury. Milk composition analysis revealed significant increases in immunoglobulins and milk fat. Fiber supplementation also altered the maternal gut microbiota. Transplantation of the sow microbiota into mice resulted in increased milk fat content, elevated immunoglobulin levels, and accelerated growth of the offspring. Correlation analysis showed a strong link between Akkermansia muciniphila (Akk) abundance in the maternal gut and milk fat and immunoglobulin levels in both sow and mouse models. Similar to the effects observed with maternal purified fiber supplementation, supplementing mice with Akk also increased milk fat and immunoglobulin levels. Furthermore, Akk regulates mammary gland function by increasing acetate and propionate levels, with acetate promoting milk fat synthesis via GPR43 and propionate influencing immunoglobulin transporter regulation via GPR41. In conclusion, maternal purified fiber intake increases intestinal Akk abundance, elevates short-chain fatty acid levels, and modulates lactation through the GPR41 and GPR43 signaling pathways.