Starting enteral nutrition with preterm single donor milk instead of formula affects time to full enteral feeding in very low birthweight infants.

AIM: This study compared the impact of using either single donor breastmilk or formula to start enteral feeding in preterm infants, on the time to full enteral feeding, growth and morbidity. The milk was provided by other preterm mothers. METHODS: This was an observational prospective study, carried out from June 2012 to March 2013 at the Medical University of Vienna, Austria, on the effects of preterm single donor milk on 133 very low birthweight infants with a birthweight <1500 g and a gestational age <32 weeks until they were on full enteral feeding. They were compared to a retrospective group of 150 infants from March 2011 to May 2012 who received preterm formula. RESULTS: The time to full enteral feeding, defined as 140 mL/kg, was significantly shorter in the donor milk group than in the formula group (18 vs. 22 days, p = 0.01). Feeding donor milk was also associated with a lower incidence for retinopathy of prematurity (4% vs. 13%, p < 0.01) and culture-proven sepsis (11% vs. 23%, p < 0.01). CONCLUSION: Feeding preterm infants breastmilk from a single donor rather using formula was associated with a shorter time to full enteral feeding and lower incidences of retinopathy of prematurity and sepsis.

Correlated downregulation of estrogen receptor beta and the circadian clock gene Per1 in human colorectal cancer.

There is a growing body of evidence that disturbed circadian clock gene expression is associated with tumor development and tumor progression. Based on our initial experiments demonstrating decreased period 1 (Per1) expression in colon cancer, we evaluated clock gene and estrogen receptor (ER) alpha/beta expression in colon cancer cells of primary colorectal tumors and adjacent normal colon mucosa (NM) by real-time RT-PCR. Analysis of gene expression in G(2) and G(3) colorectal tumors revealed a decrease of Per1 mRNA compared with paired NM (G(2): 0.52-fold; P = n.s. and G(3): 0.48-fold; P = 0.03). A significant gender specific difference of Per1 expression was observed in G(2) tumors as compared with NM (female: 0.38-fold; P = 0.004 vs. male: 0.73-fold; P = n.s.). Expression of CLOCK was significantly elevated in G(2) tumors of male patients (1.63-fold, P = 0.01). The expression of ER-beta was significantly decreased in G(2) and G(3) tumors (G(2): 0.32-fold; P = 0.003 and 0.27; P = 0.001). No significant gender specific differences of ER-beta reduction in tumors were observed. A significant correlation between the decrease of Per1 and ER-beta in colorectal tumors (r = 0.61; P < 0.001) was found. No changes in gene expression were detected for ER-alpha and Per2. Our data demonstrate a correlated decrease of Per1 and ER-beta in colorectal tumors, mediated probably by epigenetic mechanisms. The observed gender differences in the expression of CLOCK and Per1 in G(2) tumors might suggest a gender-specific, distinctive role of the cellular clock in colorectal tumorigenesis.