Lipid signature changes of women with gestational diabetes mellitus in response to puerperal exclusive breastfeeding.

Objective: We here investigated whether lactation during puerperium could help to reverse the diabetogenic effect of gestation and further explored the lipid profiling changes upon breastfeeding.

Methods: Thirty-five women diagnosed with GDM were recruited, and fasting plasma samples were collected at ~6 weeks postpartum. Maternal metabolic parameters were determined, and an untargeted lipidomic analysis was performed. The relationship between underlying lipidomic responses and lactation was explored.

Results: Improved glucose homeostasis and insulin sensitivity were observed in GDM women who adopted breastfeeding during the puerperium. Further lipidomics analysis revealed prominent correlations between lipid constitution changes and breastfeeding in women with GDM. A total of 766 lipid species were identified, 33 of which were found to be significantly altered in response to lactation. Significant associations between dysregulated lipids and maternal metabolic parameters were also shown. Subsequently, we identified a panel of three lipids that were strongly associated with breastfeeding, from which we constructed a predictive model with higher discriminating power.

Conclusions: We generally revealed that lactation during puerperium appears to have favorable effects on diabetogenic risk factors for GDM women. We also discovered that lipidomic changes related to lactation could elucidate the mother's recovery from GDM pregnancy.