Background: Colostrum, the first fluid produced by the mammary gland, is rich in protein, immune and growth factors. It also has the potential to shape the establishing gut microbiota due its abundance in oligosaccharides, secretory IgA and other antimicrobial factors. To date, there is a lack of knowledge on the health impact of insufficient colostrum intake.
Objective: To determine whether colostrum is required for healthy growth and adipose tissue immune development and whether this is dependent on the microbiota.
Methods: Growth and adipose tissue development of specific-pathogen free (SPF) and germ-free mice, fostered at birth to mothers at an advanced stage of lactation (no colostrum), were compared to pups that were physiologically breastfed.
Results: Colostrum deprivation led to profound growth retardation and abnormal development of immunity in visceral fat, including reduced representation of FoxP3+ regulatory T cells. This was accompanied by increased gut permeability and higher plasma TNF-α concentrations. While we observed differences in gut microbiota diversity and composition in colostrum deprived SPF mice, experiments in germ-free mice showed a similar extent of growth failure and immune defects as observed in SPF mice.
Conclusions: Our data establish that colostrum is critical for physiological growth and fat tissue development, but these effects are not mediated by the microbiota. These beneficial health effects of colostrum were associated with a stronger gut barrier and dampening of systemic inflammation. Our findings have important implications for the prevention of malnutrition in early life.