Characterization and comparison of human and mouse milk cells

Abstract

Recent data has characterized human milk cells with unprecedented detail and provided insight into cell populations. While such analysis of freshly expressed human milk has been possible, studies of cell functionality within the infant have been limited to animal models. One commonly used animal model for milk research is the mouse; however, limited data are available describing the composition of mouse milk. In particular, the maternal cells of mouse milk have not been previously characterized in detail, in part due to the difficulty in collecting sufficient volumes of mouse milk. In this study, we have established a method to collect high volumes of mouse milk, isolate cells, and compare the cell counts and types to human milk. Surprisingly, we found that mouse milk cell density is three orders of magnitude higher than human milk. The cell types present in the milk of mice and humans are similar, broadly consisting of mammary epithelial cells and immune cells. These results provide a basis of comparison for mouse and human milk cells and will inform the most appropriate uses of mouse models for the study of human phenomena.