Maternal Western Diet Causes Inflammatory Milk and TLR2/4-Dependent Neonatal Toxicity
June 2012
in “
Genes & Development
”
TLDR A mother's western diet can make her milk toxic, causing inflammation and hair loss in babies.
Maternal consumption of a western diet in mice led to the production of toxic milk high in long chain and saturated fatty acids, causing ceramide accumulation and inflammation in nursing neonates, which manifested as alopecia. This toxicity was dependent on Toll-like-receptors (TLR2/4) but not on gut microbiota, as TLR2/4 deletion or TLR4 inhibition provided resistance, while germ-free mice remained sensitive. This study highlighted a novel aspect of metabolic syndrome affecting the maternal-offspring interface.
