Metabolism, Organ Distribution, and Blood-Brain Barrier Penetration of Human Milk Oligosaccharides—6′/3′-Sialyl-N-acetyllactosamine

3′-sialyl-N-acetyllactosamine (3′-SLN) and 6′-sialyl-N-acetyllactosamine (6′-SLN) are two important human milk oligosaccharides (HMOs) which play significant functions in brain development and antiviral potential. However, their metabolism is still unknown. In this study, chemoenzymatically synthesized 3′-SLN and 6′-SLN were labeled with cyanine-7 (Cy7) via formation triazole (Tz) derivatives to investigate their metabolism and organ distribution in a mouse model. The fluorescence signals were detected in the brains of mice after 0.5 h of gavage with 3′-SLN-Tz-Cy7 and 6′-SLN-Tz-Cy7. It was found for the first time that both of them can cross the blood–brain barrier (BBB) as a whole and reach the brain in a sex-specific manner. And the results show that, whether in the in vivo imaging results or the brain fluorescence signal results, the male mice absorbed 3′-SLN-Tz-Cy7 more than 6′-SLN-Tz-Cy7; meanwhile, in the female mice, the results were exactly the opposite. Both 3′-SLN-Tz-Cy7 and 6′-SLN-Tz-Cy7 exhibited the highest fluorescence intensity in pulmonary tissues, followed by substantial hepatic deposition. This study would offer preliminary evidence for the hypothesis that the oral administration of 3′-SLN and 6′-SLN may promote brain development and provide a foundation for the further exploration of their functions in brain cognition.

Authors

Institutions

Publication Details

Journal
Applied Sciences
Published
2025-12-02
DOI
https://doi.org/10.3390/app152312753
Primary Topic
Infant Nutrition and Health
Type
article
Field-Weighted Citation Impact
0.00
Controls
|||
ALL TIME
JAN
FEB
MAR
APR
MAY
JUN
JUL
AUG
SEP
OCT
article

Metabolism, Organ Distribution, and Blood-Brain Barrier Penetration of Human Milk Oligosaccharides—6′/3′-Sialyl-N-acetyllactosamine

Bowen Jiang, Runmiao Jiao, Zhuo A. Wang, Eika Weihua QIAN et al.
Applied Sciences
Infant Nutrition and Health
article

Metabolism, Organ Distribution, and Blood-Brain Barrier Penetration of Human Milk Oligosaccharides—6′/3′-Sialyl-N-acetyllactosamine

Bowen Jiang, Runmiao Jiao, Zhuo A. Wang, Eika Weihua QIAN, Jianjun Li, Bing Wang, Yuguang Du, Mengyuan Zhao, Eryi Ju
article en

Abstract

3′-sialyl-N-acetyllactosamine (3′-SLN) and 6′-sialyl-N-acetyllactosamine (6′-SLN) are two important human milk oligosaccharides (HMOs) which play significant functions in brain development and antiviral potential. However, their metabolism is still unknown. In this study, chemoenzymatically synthesized 3′-SLN and 6′-SLN were labeled with cyanine-7 (Cy7) via formation triazole (Tz) derivatives to investigate their metabolism and organ distribution in a mouse model. The fluorescence signals were detected in the brains of mice after 0.5 h of gavage with 3′-SLN-Tz-Cy7 and 6′-SLN-Tz-Cy7. It was found for the first time that both of them can cross the blood–brain barrier (BBB) as a whole and reach the brain in a sex-specific manner. And the results show that, whether in the in vivo imaging results or the brain fluorescence signal results, the male mice absorbed 3′-SLN-Tz-Cy7 more than 6′-SLN-Tz-Cy7; meanwhile, in the female mice, the results were exactly the opposite. Both 3′-SLN-Tz-Cy7 and 6′-SLN-Tz-Cy7 exhibited the highest fluorescence intensity in pulmonary tissues, followed by substantial hepatic deposition. This study would offer preliminary evidence for the hypothesis that the oral administration of 3′-SLN and 6′-SLN may promote brain development and provide a foundation for the further exploration of their functions in brain cognition.

Applied SciencesVol. 15(23)
Charles Sturt University (AU), Institute of Process Engineering (CN), University of Chinese Academy of Sciences (CN), Tokyo University of Agriculture and Technology (JP)
Openalex Percentile: Top 55%
Infant Nutrition and Health
AI Navigator

Ask Laika to Summarize, Analyze, and Connect papers live on the map.

Summarize Papers & Methodologies

Extract key findings, datasets, and comparative methods across publications.

Benchmark Rankings & Visual Analytics

Rank top research institutions, authors, funders, topics, and journals by Field-Weighted Citation Impact (FWCI) and paper volume with instant charts.

Connect Distant Disciplines

Bridge topological clusters on the map to find hidden collaborative intersections.