Maternal body mass index is associated with breast milk (BM) fatty acid composition. This study investigated the effects of BM omega (n)-6:n-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs) from non-obese women and women with obesity on the process of adipogenesis in 3T3-L1 preadipocytes. BM samples were collected from non-obese women (BMNO) and women with obesity (BMO) at one month postpartum. The fatty acid composition was measured, and BMNO and BMO groups with the lowest (Q1) and highest (Q4) quartiles of n-6:n-3 PUFA ratios were identified. 3T3-L1 preadipocytes were differentiated in the presence or absence of BM. Lipid accumulation and the expression of genes involved in lipogenesis and lipolysis were measured. Treatment with BMNO containing high (vs. low) n-6:n-3 PUFA ratios significantly increased the mRNA expression of lipogenic genes (acetyl-CoA carboxylase, fatty acid synthase, and stearoyl-CoA desaturase); however, there was no effect when cells were treated with BMO (with either low or high n-6:n-3 PUFA ratios). Treatment with BMO (high n-6:n-3 PUFA ratio) caused larger lipid droplets. Our findings demonstrated that BMNO with a high n-6:n-3 PUFA ratio was associated with a higher expression of lipogenic genes, while BMO with a high n-6:n-3 PUFA ratio showed larger lipid droplets, suggesting adipocyte dysfunction. These findings may have implications in the BM-mediated programming of childhood obesity.
Keywords: 3T3-L1 preadipocytes; adipogenesis; breast milk; lipogenesis; obesity; polyunsaturated fatty acids.