title: α-Lipoic acid attenuates transplacental nicotine-induced germ cell and oxidative DNA damage in adult mice.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Smoking during pregnancy is associated with numerous fetal and developmental complications and reproductive dysfunctions in the offspring. Nicotine is one of the key chemicals of tobacco responsible for addiction. The present study was aimed to investigate the protective role of α-lipoic acid (ALA) during the transplacental nicotine-induced germ cell and DNA damage in the offspring of Swiss mice.
  
  
  METHODS
  Pregnant mice were treated with nicotine (20 mg/kg/day) in drinking water from 10 to 20 days of gestation period, and ALA (120 mg/kg/day) was administered orally for the same period. Endpoint of evaluation includes general observations at delivery and throughout the study, litter weight and size, sperm count and sperm head morphology, while structural damages and protein expression were assessed by histology and immunohistochemistry, respectively.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Maternal nicotine exposure led to decreased growth rate, litter and testicular weight, testosterone level, 3β-HSD expression and sperm count as well as increased sperm head abnormalities, micronucleus frequency and 8-oxo-dG positive cells, and the effects have been restored by ALA supplementation.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The present study clearly demonstrated that ALA ameliorates nicotine-associated oxidative stress, DNA damage and testicular toxicity in the offspring by improving steroidogenesis, spermatogenesis and sperm count.
authors.forename: Santo K
authors.initials: SK
authors.lastname: Anto
authors.forename: Naresh
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Koyada
authors.forename: Sabbir
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Khan
authors.forename: Gopabandhu
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Jena
mesh_terms: D000367:Age Factors; D000818:Animals; D004249:DNA Damage / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000502:physiology; D005260:Female; D005854:Germ Cells / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000378:metabolism; D008297:Male; D008431:Maternal-Fetal Exchange / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology; D051379:Mice; D009538:Nicotine / Q000633:toxicity*; D018384:Oxidative Stress / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology; D011247:Pregnancy; D011297:Prenatal Exposure Delayed Effects / Q000139:chemically induced* / Q000378:metabolism / Q000517:prevention & control*; D013094:Spermatozoa / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism; D008063:Thioctic Acid / Q000494:pharmacology / Q000627:therapeutic use*
chemical_list: D009538:Nicotine; D008063:Thioctic Acid