title: The effect of long term nicotine exposure on nicotine addiction and fetal growth.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To investigate the effect of nicotine exposure starting before coitus and continuing during pregnancy and lactation period on delivery rate, fetal growth and nicotine addiction in rats.
  
  
  METHODS
  Ten female Swiss Albino rats were divided into 2 groups as the nicotine group (NG) (n=5), and the control group (n=5), conceived by adding 2 male rats to each group. While the control group was given only normal drinking water, 0.4 mg/kg body weight (BW)/day nicotine was given to the NG in drinking water. After delivery, the BWs of pups were recorded weekly for 6 weeks and their drinking water preferences were assessed. Meanwhile, pups of the NG continued to receive 0.4 mg/kg/day nicotine for 12 months while the controls continued with normal drinking water.
  
  
  RESULTS
  At the end of the 6(th) week, it was determined that 30 (69%) rats out of 43 in the NG and only 7 rats (20%) out of 35 in the control group preferred the nicotine added drinking water (p<0.05). No significant difference was observed between control and NGs in post-natal birth weights and BWs recorded for 6 weeks. On the contrary, a significant decrease (p< 0.05) was observed in the BWs of NG at the end of 12 months nicotine exposure.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Use of maternal nicotine in pregnancy and lactation periods, even at a low dose, may be effective in nicotine addiction development although it may not affect delivery rate, and BWs of pups after delivery and during six weeks follow up in the lactation period.
authors.affiliation: Department of Medical Biochemistry, Faculty of Medicine, Ege University, İzmir, Turkey.
authors.forename: Soycan
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Mızrak
authors.affiliation: Department of Gynecology and Obstetrics, Faculty of Medicine, Ege University, İzmir, Turkey.
authors.forename: Volkan
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Turan
authors.affiliation: Department of Gynecology and Obstetrics, Faculty of Medicine, Ege University, İzmir, Turkey.
authors.forename: Mustafa Coşan
authors.initials: MC
authors.lastname: Terek
authors.affiliation: Department of Medical Biochemistry, Faculty of Medicine, Ege University, İzmir, Turkey.
authors.forename: Gülinnaz
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Ercan
keywords: Nicotine; delivery rate; fetal growth; nicotine addiction; pregnancy