| First Author | Ramakrishnan SK | Year | 2015 |
| Journal | Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A | Volume | 112 |
| Issue | 28 | Pages | E3738-47 |
| PubMed ID | 26124130 | Mgi Jnum | J:223722 |
| Mgi Id | MGI:5660126 | Doi | 10.1073/pnas.1504891112 |
| Citation | Ramakrishnan SK, et al. (2015) Maternal intestinal HIF-2alpha is necessary for sensing iron demands of lactation in mice. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 112(28):E3738-47 |
| abstractText | The mechanisms that are essential for the maintenance of nutrient status in breast milk are unclear. Our data demonstrate that the intestine via hypoxia-inducible factor (HIF)-2alpha is an essential regulatory mechanism for maintaining the quality of breast milk. During lactation, intestinal HIF-2alpha is highly increased, leading to an adaptive induction of apical and basolateral iron transport genes. Disruption of intestinal HIF-2alpha (but not HIF-1alpha) or the downstream target gene divalent metal transporter (DMT)-1 in lactating mothers did not alter systemic iron homeostasis in the mothers, but led to anemia, decreased growth, and truncal alopecia in pups which was restored following weaning. Moreover, pups born from mothers with a disruption of intestinal HIF-2alpha led to long-term cognitive defects. Cross-fostering experiments and micronutrient profiling of breast milk demonstrated that the defects observed were due to decreased maternal iron delivery via milk. Increasing intestinal iron absorption by activation of HIF-2alpha or parenteral administration of iron-dextran in HIF-2alpha knockout mothers ameliorated anemia and restored neonatal development and adult cognitive functions. The present work details the importance of breast milk iron in neonatal development and uncovers an unexpected molecular mechanism for the regulation of nutritional status of breast milk through intestinal HIF-2alpha. |
