It is well known that pregnancy is very marked by a time of changes, breasts and the immune system They suffer modifications to guarantee the health of both the mother and the baby, but what Until now it was not known is that the intestine also changes completely.
In depth
A equipment international research directed by Josef Penninger and Masahiro Onjiof the Medical University of Vienna, explains this new finding, published in the journal Nature, and points out that this change in the intestine results in a duplication of the intestinal surface and a surprising structural reorganization.
Researchers have observed that Intestinal villi They are reorganized during pregnancy and breastfeeding and increase significantly in size, doubling their surface. To do this, they have studied genetically modified mice and intestinal organoids of mice and humans (self -organized three -dimensional tissues derived from intestine stem cells).
From the mechanistic point of view, the researchers identified the receiving system Rank/Light Rank (Rank/Rankl) as the key to enlarging the villi of the small intestine during reproduction, which is regulated by sexual hormones and breastfeeding. When the mice were modified to lack the Rank/Rankl system in the intestine, the expansion of villi During pregnancy and breastfeeding it was significantly affected.
More details
For decades, experts have studied the Rank/Rankl system as A key facilitator of evolutionarily preserved essential processes. The Penninger group has already identified key functions of the Rank/Rankl system in the bone replacement, in the biology of the mammary gland, in breast cancer and in immune tolerance during pregnancy, which has contributed to the development of medications against bone loss used by millions of people and are carrying out clinical trials for breast cancer prevention and cancer immunotherapies.
In addition, they have now discovered that these intestinal changes, which seem to be completely reversible when they stop breastfeeding, are important for adequate food and nutrition of babies. “Our study shows that the alteration of this intestinal expansion due to the lack of the Rank/Rankl system during pregnancy modifies the milk of infant mothers. This results in a lower weight of babies and long -term transgenerational metabolic consequences, “explains the main author, Masahiro Onji.
“Mothers need to eat for themselves and their babies. These new studies provide for the first time a molecular and structural explanation of how and why the intestine changes to adapt to the greater demand for nutrients from mothers, which probably happens in all pregnant and infant mammals, “adds the director of the study, Josef Penninger.
Likewise, the adaptation of mothers to the demands of pregnancy and breastfeeding remains a central issue to Human evolution and health. During this phase, female hormones influence multiple organs to control and modify their structure and functions, which It is decisive for mother’s health and the development of offspring.
It was known that pregnant women have greater nutrient needsbut this fundamental aspect had not been well studied so far. “By identifying the Rank/Rankl system as the driving force of intestinal adaptation during pregnancy and breastfeeding, our study contributes to a deeper understanding of biological processes that are of fundamental importance for human evolution and health“, summarizes Josef Penninger.
To take into account
This mass expansion is controlled by sex and pregnancy hormones, which modify the intestine stem cells through the Rank/Rankl system and then give To the intestinal cell a survival signal To grow much more. This growth leads to almost duplication of the intestinal surface, which also increases molecular machinery for the absorption of sugar, protein and fat, and even leads to a deep architectural change in intestinal villi, which probably Gate the food flow, maximizing nutrient absorption again.
“Our team has discovered a surprising new way in which mothers’ bodies change to keep babies healthy. Almost no one knew, apart from a few ancient studies that have greatly fallen into oblivion. We have also discovered that this system, through stem cells, can directly affect tumors in the intestine; Maybe we can learn of pregnant and infant mothers to reversibly reconfigure this system to develop new treatments and a better understanding of intestinal cancer or intestinal regeneration, “he concludes Josef Penninger.
#investigation #shows #intestine #doubles #surface #pregnancy
