Effects of Maternal Nicotine Exposure during Pregnancy and Lactation on (original) (raw)

Abstract: Background: Recent epidemiological studies have shown that there is an increased risk of hypertension in children born to women who smoked during pregnancy. Objective: The aim of this study was to examine the effect of fetal and neonatal exposure to nicotine, the major addictive component of cigarette smoke, on blood pressure of offspring and blood vessel structure, as well as if this hypertension induced by maternal nicotine exposure can be prevented or attenuated by vitamin C supplementation during the perinatal period or after weaning. Material and Methods: Female Wistar rats were given nicotine (1 mg/kg/day in 1 ml s.c), either saline (1 ml/day, s.c) and nicotine (1mg/kg/day in 1 ml, s.c) + vitamin C (1g/l in the drinking water) during pregnancy and lactation. It was also animals group that received vitamin C (1g/l) in the drinking water from weaning up to 5 months of age. Blood pressure was determined in the female and male offspring from weaning until 20 weeks of age. At the end of the experimental period (20 weeks), the wall structure of the abdominal aorta in was examined. Results: Maternal nicotine exposure during gestation and lactation resulted in an increased blood pressure of male offspring but not of female offspring. The result of this study also indicates that blood pressure in male offspring increased from the age of 12 weeks onwards for the male offspring of nicotine-exposed animals. Maternal vitamin C supplementation in rats exposed to nicotine during pregnancy and lactation did not prevent development of hypertension of the male offspring, whereas the vitamin C given to pups after weaning significantly improved the nicotine induced hypertension of male offspring. The wall structure of the abdominal aorta of the nicotine group was irregular and abnormal alignment of three tunics, whereas this effect was not observed in the abdominal aortic from the offspring of the saline group. Conclusion: Our study demonstrated that maternal nicotine exposure during gestation and lactation increased blood pressure of male offspring but not of female offspring and caused an alteration in the wall structure of the abdominal aorta, thus providing insight into the mechanisms underlying the increased prevalence hypertension in children exposed to cigarette smoke in utero. Also, the supplementation with vitamin C after weaning leads to a reduction of the hypertension. To our knowledge this is the first time that it is shown that hypertension induced by nicotine exposure during pregnancy and lactation, can be attenuated or even reversed. It will also be of interest to determine whether epigenetic changes occurred. Keywords: Maternal nicotine exposure, neonatal nicotine exposure, hypertension of the offspring, Wistar rats, vitamin C attenuated hypertension of the offspring.