Resistin Modulates the Functional Activity of Colostral Macrophages from Mothers with Obesity and Diabetes

Abstract

Background: Obesity and diabetes are major public health problems. Resistin is an adipokine that links the two diseases. There are few reports regarding colostrum cells and resistin from mothers with obesity and diabetes. Thus, this study aimed to determine the functional activity of macrophages present in the breast milk and colostrum of diabetic mothers with obesity and the effects of resistin on these cells.

Methods: The women were divided according to BMI and glycemic status into normal weight non-diabetic, obese non-diabetic, normal weight type 2 diabetic, or obese type 2 diabetic groups. ELISA determined the resistin in colostrum. The cell subsets and apoptosis were determined by flow cytometry and the functional activity of cells by fluorescence microscopy.

Results: The resistin levels were higher in the colostrum from diabetic mothers with obesity. The frequencies of CD14⁺ cells and cells expressing CD95⁺, independent of resistin treatment, were higher in the colostrum from diabetic mothers with obesity. The frequency of cells expressing CD14⁺CD95⁺ was higher in cells not treated with resistin in the colostrum from diabetic mothers with obesity. Apoptosis, irrespective of the presence of resistin, increased, whereas microbicidal activity decreased in cells from diabetic mothers with obesity.

Conclusion: The data suggest that hyperglycemia associated with low-grade inflammation caused by obesity affects the percentage of cells expressing CD14⁺CD95⁺, death by apoptosis, and microbicidal indices; meanwhile, resistin restored the microbicidal activity of colostrum cells.

Keywords: cells; colostrum; diabetes; obesity; resistin.

Figure 1

Apoptosis index (%) of colostrum mononuclear (MN) cells treated with resistin or left untreated from mothers with different glycemic and nutritional status. (A) Cells were labeled with fluorescein isothiocyanate deoxyuridine triphosphates (FITC-dUTP). The presence of apoptotic cells was demonstrated by increased fluorescence intensity (M2 gate). (B) Cell apoptosis index. Data were expressed as means and standard errors of eight MN cells from different individuals in each group (ANOVA, p < 0.05). ^# Significant difference between groups considering the same treatment.

Figure 2

Phagocytosis (A) and microbicidal (B) activity of colostrum MN cells treated with resistin or left untreated from mothers with different glycemic and nutritional status. The data were expressed as means and standard errors of eight MN cells from different individuals in each group (ANOVA, p < 0.05). * Difference between treatments, considering the same group. # Difference between groups considering the same treatment. + Difference between diabetic and obese diabetic groups considering the same treatment.