Lactation improves pancreatic β cell mass and function through serotonin production.

ABSTRACT: Pregnancy imposes a substantial metabolic burden on women through weight gain and insulin resistance. Lactation reduces the risk of maternal postpartum diabetes, but the mechanisms underlying this benefit are unknown. Here, we identified long-term beneficial effects of lactation on β cell function, which last for years after the cessation of lactation. We analyzed metabolic phenotypes including β cell characteristics in lactating and non-lactating humans and mice. Lactating and non-lactating women showed comparable glucose tolerance at 2 months after delivery, but after a mean of 3.6 years, glucose tolerance in lactated women had improved compared to non-lactated women. In humans, the disposition index, a measure of insulin secretory function of β cells considering the degree of insulin se

SUBMITTER: Moon JH 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC8276761 | biostudies-literature | 2020 Apr

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature