| Summary: | Sahar Cheshmeh, 1, 2,* Seyed Mostafa Nachvak, 1 Nayebali Rezvani, 3 Amir Saber 1,* 1Department of Nutritional Sciences, School of Nutritional Sciences and Food Technology, Kermanshah University of Medical Sciences, Kermanshah, Iran; 2Student Research Committee, School of Nutritional Sciences and Food Technology, Kermanshah University of Medical Sciences, Kermanshah, Iran; 3Department of Clinical Biochemistry, Kermanshah University of Medical Sciences, Kermanshah, Iran*These authors contributed equally to this workCorrespondence: Seyed Mostafa NachvakDepartment of Nutritional Sciences, Faculty of Nutritional Sciences and Food Technologies, Kermanshah University of Medical Sciences, Isar Sq., Across from Farabi Hospital, P.O. Box 6719851351, Kermanshah, IranTel +98-8338395885Fax +98-83 37102002Email smnachvak@hotmail.comNayebali RezvaniDepartment of Clinical Biochemistry, Kermanshah University of Medical Sciences, P.O. Box 67148-69914, Kermanshah, IranTel +98-9183391265Email arezvani51@gmail.comPurpose: The study aimed to investigate the effect of breastfeeding, formula feeding and mix feeding (breastfed plus formula-fed) on the expression level of obesity-predisposing genes including fat mass and obesity-associated (FTO), carnitine palmitoyltransferase 1A (CPT1A), and peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor-α (PPAR-α) in 5- to 6-month-old infants.Patients and Methods: A total of 150 infants participated in this case–control study. All subjects were healthy infants aged 5– 6 months that divided into 3 groups: breastfed, formula-fed, and mix-fed. The expression level of FTO, CPT1A, and PPAR-α genes in peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMC) was evaluated in each group using reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) method.Results: Our findings showed that the current weight, height, and head circumference of infants in the formula feeding and mix feeding groups were significantly higher than those in the exclusive breastfeeding group. The expression level of FTO and CPT1A genes in formula-fed and mix-fed infants was significantly higher (p< 0.001) than that in breastfed infants, while the expression level of PPAR-α gene was significantly lower (p< 0.05).Conclusion: Breastfeeding showed modulatory effects on the expression level of obesity-predisposing genes and can protect against obesity and subsequent non-communicable diseases. However, more investigations are required to explain the epigenetic effects of breast milk.Keywords: breastfeeding, formula feeding, obesity, FTO, CPT1A, PPAR-α, infants
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