The human milk component myo-inositol promotes neuronal connectivity.

Effects of micronutrients on brain connectivity are incompletely understood. Analyzing human milk samples across global populations, we identified the carbocyclic sugar myo-inositol as a component that promotes brain development. We determined that it is most abundant in human milk during early lactation when neuronal connections rapidly form in the infant brain. Myo-inositol promoted synapse abundance in human excitatory neurons as well as cultured rat neurons and acted in a dose-dependent manner. Mechanistically, myo-inositol enhanced the ability of neurons to respond to transsynaptic interactions that induce synapses. Effects of myo-inositol in the developing brain were tested in mice, and its dietary supplementation enlarged excitatory postsynaptic sites in the maturing cortex. Utilizing an organotypic slice culture system, we additionally determined that myo-inositol is bioactive in mature brain tissue, and treatment of organotypic slices with this carbocyclic sugar increased the number and size of postsynaptic specializations and excitatory synapse density. This study advances our understanding of the impact of human milk on the infant brain and identifies myo-inositol as a breast milk component that promotes the formation of neuronal connections.

[Comparison study of effects of rhizoma drynariae and estrogen on osteoporosis in ovariectomized rats].

OBJECTIVE: To study the therapeutic effects of Rhizoma Drynariae and estrogen on osteoporosis in ovariectomized (OVX) rats. METHODS: Fifty-five female rats were randomly divided into 5 groups, the normal control (normal),the sham operated (sham), the model, the estrogen, and the Rhizoma drynariae (RD) groups; ovariectomized rats were used as postmenopausal osteoporosis model. The changes of morphology and dynamic parameters in different groups were determined by bone histomorphometry. RESULTS: Compared with the model group, the trabecular volume (TBV/TTV) , trabecular thickness (MTPT) and density (MTPD) in the other four groups were significantly increased, while the trabecular template spacing (MTPS) and the ratio of trabecular surface to trabecular volume (TBS/TBV) significantly decreased (P <0. 05); and the osteoid surface (TOS), single label surface [Sfract (s) ] ,double label surface [Sfract (d) ] and bone formation rate (Svf) also decreased,while osteoid maturation period (OMP) increased in the latter four groups. No significant difference of cortical width (MCW) was found between these 5 groups. Compared with the normal and sham groups, TOS, Sfract ( s) , Sfract ( d) , Svf in the estrogen and RD groups increased significantly, while OMP decreased; no significant difference was found in other parameters. CONCLUSION: Rhizoma Drynariae has the similar effect with estrogen in maintaining normal trabecular structure and connection by inhibiting the increased bone turnover of postmenopausal osteoporosis.