Chronic prenatal nicotine exposure alters enkephalin mRNA regulation in the perinatal rat adrenal medulla.
Prenatal exposure to nicotine significantly increases enkephalin mRNA levels in the rat adrenal medulla prenatally, and postnatally the normal up-regulation is obliterated. This may lead to a disturbed modulation or regulation of catecholamine release in the adrenal and may be one factor contributing to the attenuated capacity of nicotine-treated pups to survive severe hypoxia. We speculate that this may be part of the mechanism underlying the relation between maternal smoking and sudden infant death syndrome.
Wong
Theodoric
T
Department of Women and Child Health, Karolinska Institute, Astrid Lindgren Children's Hospital, Stockholm, Sweden.
Wickström
Ronny
R
Holgert
Hans
H
D000313:Adrenal Medulla / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000196:embryology* / Q000502:physiology; D000818:Animals; D000831:Animals, Newborn; D004745:Enkephalins / Q000235:genetics*; D005260:Female; D018507:Gene Expression Regulation, Developmental / Q000187:drug effects; D009538:Nicotine / Q000494:pharmacology*; D018722:Nicotinic Agonists / Q000494:pharmacology*; D011247:Pregnancy; D011297:Prenatal Exposure Delayed Effects; D012333:RNA, Messenger / Q000378:metabolism; D051381:Rats; D017207:Rats, Sprague-Dawley; D014446:Tyrosine 3-Monooxygenase / Q000235:genetics
D004745:Enkephalins; D018722:Nicotinic Agonists; D012333:RNA, Messenger; D009538:Nicotine; D014446:Tyrosine 3-Monooxygenase