Prolactin promotes transepithelial migration of lymphocytes through CCL2

The colostrum of sows contains a large number of lymphocytes originating from breast tissue. However, the mechanism of lymphocyte migration across the mammary epithelium remains unclear. Hormonal fluctuations during pregnancy are known to influence lymphocyte homing to the breast. In this study, we...

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Main Authors: Peng Liu, Jinjiao Zuo, Hui Lu, Bin Zhang, Caihong Wu
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Elsevier 2025-08-01
Series:Poultry Science
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Online Access:http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0032579125005656
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author Peng Liu
Jinjiao Zuo
Hui Lu
Bin Zhang
Caihong Wu
author_facet Peng Liu
Jinjiao Zuo
Hui Lu
Bin Zhang
Caihong Wu
author_sort Peng Liu
collection DOAJ
description The colostrum of sows contains a large number of lymphocytes originating from breast tissue. However, the mechanism of lymphocyte migration across the mammary epithelium remains unclear. Hormonal fluctuations during pregnancy are known to influence lymphocyte homing to the breast. In this study, we established a mammary epithelial cells (MECs)/T lymphocytes co-culture system to investigate the effects of colostral hormones on lymphocyte migration. Electron microscope and fluorescence-activated cell sorting results showed that the proportion of T lymphocytes in colostrum was about 9 %. Subsequently, the hormone concentration and number of T lymphocytes in colostrum were tested. The results revealed that there is a high content of prolactin and estrogen in colostrum, and the content of prolactin and estrogen is positively correlated with the number of T lymphocytes in colostrum. Furthermore, T lymphocytes were added to the upper ventricle in Transwell insert, and the estrogen and prolactin were added to the lower ventricle. The results showed that prolactin significantly promoted the T lymphocyte migration across the mammary epithelium, while estrogen had no effect. Finally, our study found that prolactin can promote the mammary epithelial cell to secrete CCL2 by Real-time quantitative PCR (RT-qPCR) and Enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). In order to further explore the transepithelial migration, a neutralizing antibody was applied to block CCL2. Results revealed that the migration of T lymphocytes across the breast epithelium was significantly inhibited after blocking CCL2. The above results showed that prolactin can promote the secretion of CCL2 by breast epithelial cells, and regulate the lymphocyte migration across the mammary epithelium into colostrum, and thereby may further improve lactogenic immunity in sows.
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spelling doaj-art-764542d3b13e4e03a726dec5fce301522025-08-20T03:31:25ZengElsevierPoultry Science0032-57912025-08-01104810532210.1016/j.psj.2025.105322Prolactin promotes transepithelial migration of lymphocytes through CCL2Peng Liu0Jinjiao Zuo1Hui Lu2Bin Zhang3Caihong Wu4Jiangsu Agri-Animal Husbandry Vocational College, Jiangsu, 225300, PR ChinaJiangsu Agri-Animal Husbandry Vocational College, Jiangsu, 225300, PR ChinaJiangsu Agri-Animal Husbandry Vocational College, Jiangsu, 225300, PR ChinaJiangsu Agri-Animal Husbandry Vocational College, Jiangsu, 225300, PR ChinaCorresponding author at: Jiangsu Agri-Animal Husbandry Vocational College, 225300, Taizhou, Jiangsu, China.; Jiangsu Agri-Animal Husbandry Vocational College, Jiangsu, 225300, PR ChinaThe colostrum of sows contains a large number of lymphocytes originating from breast tissue. However, the mechanism of lymphocyte migration across the mammary epithelium remains unclear. Hormonal fluctuations during pregnancy are known to influence lymphocyte homing to the breast. In this study, we established a mammary epithelial cells (MECs)/T lymphocytes co-culture system to investigate the effects of colostral hormones on lymphocyte migration. Electron microscope and fluorescence-activated cell sorting results showed that the proportion of T lymphocytes in colostrum was about 9 %. Subsequently, the hormone concentration and number of T lymphocytes in colostrum were tested. The results revealed that there is a high content of prolactin and estrogen in colostrum, and the content of prolactin and estrogen is positively correlated with the number of T lymphocytes in colostrum. Furthermore, T lymphocytes were added to the upper ventricle in Transwell insert, and the estrogen and prolactin were added to the lower ventricle. The results showed that prolactin significantly promoted the T lymphocyte migration across the mammary epithelium, while estrogen had no effect. Finally, our study found that prolactin can promote the mammary epithelial cell to secrete CCL2 by Real-time quantitative PCR (RT-qPCR) and Enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). In order to further explore the transepithelial migration, a neutralizing antibody was applied to block CCL2. Results revealed that the migration of T lymphocytes across the breast epithelium was significantly inhibited after blocking CCL2. The above results showed that prolactin can promote the secretion of CCL2 by breast epithelial cells, and regulate the lymphocyte migration across the mammary epithelium into colostrum, and thereby may further improve lactogenic immunity in sows.http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0032579125005656Co-culture modelTransepithelial migrationProlactinCCL2
spellingShingle Peng Liu
Jinjiao Zuo
Hui Lu
Bin Zhang
Caihong Wu
Prolactin promotes transepithelial migration of lymphocytes through CCL2
Poultry Science
Co-culture model
Transepithelial migration
Prolactin
CCL2
title Prolactin promotes transepithelial migration of lymphocytes through CCL2
title_full Prolactin promotes transepithelial migration of lymphocytes through CCL2
title_fullStr Prolactin promotes transepithelial migration of lymphocytes through CCL2
title_full_unstemmed Prolactin promotes transepithelial migration of lymphocytes through CCL2
title_short Prolactin promotes transepithelial migration of lymphocytes through CCL2
title_sort prolactin promotes transepithelial migration of lymphocytes through ccl2
topic Co-culture model
Transepithelial migration
Prolactin
CCL2
url http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0032579125005656
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AT jinjiaozuo prolactinpromotestransepithelialmigrationoflymphocytesthroughccl2
AT huilu prolactinpromotestransepithelialmigrationoflymphocytesthroughccl2
AT binzhang prolactinpromotestransepithelialmigrationoflymphocytesthroughccl2
AT caihongwu prolactinpromotestransepithelialmigrationoflymphocytesthroughccl2