FLICKR, E3000Mammalian mothers set their offspring up for life by feeding them milk. But breast milk is more than a source of nutrients; according to a new study, it also gives mothers a way of preparing their young for challenges ahead.
Bingfang Liu from Weill Cornell Medical College found that if female mice lack a protein called TNF, they produce breast milk with low levels of cytokines—chemicals involved in triggering an immune response. If pups drink this cytokine-poor milk, they develop a bigger hippocampus—a part of the brain involved in spatial memory. As a result, they become better at navigating mazes and remembering the locations of objects, even into adulthood.
“We think TNF could be an environmental sensor, because it’s part of the immune system. It responds to conditions like stress or food supply,” said Miklos Toth, who led the study. “It allows the mother to match her offspring’s cognitive performance to the environment she experiences.” The results are published today ( December 1) in Nature ...
