Prenatal exposure to nicotine with associated in utero hypoxia decreased fetal brain muscarinic mRNA in the rat.
Prenatal exposure to nicotine can be associated with fetal abnormal development and brain damage. This study determined the effect of administration of nicotine with associated in utero hypoxia in maternal rats from early, middle, and late gestation on fetal blood hemoglobin, and expression of cholinergic receptor subtypes in the fetal brain. Our results demonstrated that maternal subcutaneous nicotine from the early gestation increased fetal hemoglobin and hematocrit, associated with reduction of PO(2). Although exposure to nicotine during late gestation had no effects on fetal brain weight, nicotine administration from the early gestation significantly decreased fetal brain muscarinic receptor (M1, M2, M3, and M4) mRNA expression, associated with restricted brain growth. Nicotine-altered muscarinic receptor subtype expression in the fetal forebrain and hindbrain showed regional differences. In addition, there were gestational differences for fetal brain muscarinic suppression by prenatal nicotine. Together, the results demonstrate that nicotine-induced in utero hypoxia is associated with poor development of muscarinic receptors in the fetal brain and restricted brain growth, and that either prolonged prenatal exposure to nicotine or critical "window" period for the brain development during pregnancy may play a role in prenatal nicotine-induced fetal muscarinic-receptor deficiency in the fetal brain.
Perinatal Biology Center, Soochow University School of Medicine and Affiliated Children's Hospital, Suzhou, 215007, China.
Caiping
C
Mao
Xin
X
Yuan
Yugui
Y
Cui
Hong
H
Li
Juanxiu
J
Lv
Xing
X
Feng
Yujuan
Y
Liu
Linqi
L
Chen
Zhice
Z
Xu
D000818:Animals; D001921:Brain / Q000187:drug effects / Q000196:embryology / Q000503:physiopathology; D015536:Down-Regulation / Q000187:drug effects / Q000235:genetics; D005260:Female; D005311:Fetal Hypoxia / Q000139:chemically induced / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism; D018507:Gene Expression Regulation, Developmental / Q000187:drug effects / Q000235:genetics; D006400:Hematocrit; D002534:Hypoxia, Brain / Q000139:chemically induced / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism; D009538:Nicotine / Q000009:adverse effects*; D018722:Nicotinic Agonists / Q000009:adverse effects; D010100:Oxygen / Q000097:blood; D011247:Pregnancy; D011297:Prenatal Exposure Delayed Effects / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism / Q000503:physiopathology; D012333:RNA, Messenger / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism*; D051381:Rats; D017207:Rats, Sprague-Dawley; D011976:Receptors, Muscarinic / Q000172:deficiency / Q000235:genetics*; D013997:Time Factors
D018722:Nicotinic Agonists; D012333:RNA, Messenger; D011976:Receptors, Muscarinic; D009538:Nicotine; D010100:Oxygen