Association between the levels of arachidonic fatty acid in milk and weight gain in children fed exclusively breast

milk
Alessandra R.M.P. de Arajo; Marcelle de A. Saraiva, Lvia A. Belcastro; Felipe D. da Conceio, Michelle G. Santana, Maria das Graas T. do Carmo, Ftima Lcia C. Sardinha. Nutritional Biochemical Laboratory Instituto de Nutrio Josu de Castro, Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.

INTRODUCTION Obesity has been considered a global epidemic1. The neonatal period is critical in the determination of this condition, because of the proliferation and differentiation of adipocytes are more important2. Fatty acids (FAs) influence this process and has been reported that arachidonic acid (AA) is a major adipogenic component 3. Arachidonic fatty acid (AA), a naturally abundant fatty acid (FA) of the n6 series is involved in the maturation of preadipocytes during development of adipose tissue4. AA is converted into prostacyclin, which stimulates adipose differentiation of primary preadipocytes in rodents and humans5. We investigated associations between long chain polyunsaturated fatty acids (LCPUFA), with emphasis on AA, present in breast milk of Brazilian mothers and anthropometric variables of exclusively breastfed infants. METHODS AND MATERIALS The participants consisted of 71 mothers and their infants enrolled in a health center in Rio de Janeiro. The FA of total lipids from milk samples collected were identified and quantified by gas-liquid chromatography. Parameters were used for weight (w), head circumference, height (H) and age (A) and calculated the W/A, W/H, H/A, body mass index (BMI)/age and the weekly weight gain. RESULTS Approximately 86% of infants were classified eutrophic. Taken together the percentages corresponding to the "risk of overweight" and "overweight", 21,1% and 9,8% of infants fall into this category, considered the indices W/H and BMI, respectively. The median levels of AA in milk were 0.57%. The average weekly weight gain differed among infants (male and female). The levels of AA in milk were positively correlated with weight gain of female infants, and the boys, only when exposed to higher concentrations of this fatty acid.

CONCLUSION It is suggested that AA is able to influence the weight gain of infants, and female children are more susceptible to the adipogenic effects associated with this fatty acid.

1- OMS,2008; 2- Loh et al, 1998; Ailhaud, 2005; Guebre-Egziabher et al, 2008; 3- Gaillard et al, 1989, Massiera et al, 2003; 4- Gaillard et al, 1989; 5- Massiera et al, 2003