title: The Effect of Long Term Pre/postnatal Low/high Dose Nicotine Exposure on Tissue Oxidant/antioxidant Status and DNA Damage in Rats.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Most women do not stop smoking either during pregnancy or in the lactation period. This study was carried out to investigate the effect of long term per oral pre/postnatal low/high dose nicotine exposure on fetal plasma/tissue oxidant-antioxidant status in rats.
  
  
  METHODS
  The study groups were composed of pups whose parents used or did not use nicotine in pregnancy and lactation period. The pups were divided into 3 groups, each consisting of 10 rats; the control group (normal drinking water), low and high dose nicotine groups according to the dose of nicotine (0.4 mg/kg and 6.0 mg/kg BW/day, respectively) given per oral in drinking water. At the end of the 12(th) month, tissue/hemolysate/plasma oxidant-antioxidant status parameters and 8-hydroxy-2-deoxy-guanosine levels were measured.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Plasma cotinine levels were higher in nicotine groups compared to controls (p<0.01). A significant increase in liver malonyldialdehyde levels (p<0.05) and a significant decrease in kidney superoxide dismutase activities (p<0.05) were determined in both nicotine groups compared to controls while no statistically significant difference was found in the other parameters.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  This investigation showed that long term nicotine exposure during-after pregnancy may have an adverse effect on vital organs of the offspring via impairing tissue oxidant/antioxidant balance. Liver and kidney seem to be the mostly affected organs possibly due to their major roles in nicotine metabolism.
authors.affiliation: Department of Medical Biochemistry, Ege University Faculty of Medicine, Izmir, Turkey.
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Mizrak
authors.affiliation: Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Tepecik Research and Training Hospital, Izmir, Turkey.
authors.forename: V
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Turan
authors.affiliation: Department of Biochemistry, Kırıkkale University Faculty of Medicine, Kırıkkale, Turkey.
authors.forename: O
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Caglayan
authors.affiliation: Department of Medical Biochemistry, Ege University Faculty of Medicine, Izmir, Turkey.
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Ercan
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D000975:Antioxidants / Q000378:metabolism*; D004249:DNA Damage / Q000187:drug effects*; D004781:Environmental Exposure / Q000009:adverse effects*; D005260:Female; D005333:Fetus / Q000187:drug effects; D009538:Nicotine / Q000009:adverse effects*; D016877:Oxidants / Q000378:metabolism*; D010084:Oxidation-Reduction / Q000187:drug effects*; D011181:Postnatal Care; D011247:Pregnancy; D011297:Prenatal Exposure Delayed Effects / Q000209:etiology*; D051381:Rats
chemical_list: D000975:Antioxidants; D016877:Oxidants; D009538:Nicotine