The prenatal nicotine exposure leads to epigenetic alterations in nervous system signaling genes in the rat [RNA-seq]
Background. Prenatal exposure to nicotine has been documented to impose numerous deleterious effects on fetal development. However, the epigenetic changes promoted by nicotine exposure on germ cell are still not well understood. Objectives. In this study, we focused on elucidating the impact of prenatal nicotine exposure on regulatory epigenetic mechanisms important for the germ cells development.  Objectives. In this study, we focused on elucidating the impact of prenatal nicotine exposure on regulatory epigenetic mechanisms important for the germ cells development. Overall design: Methods. Sprague-Dawley rats were exposed to nicotine during pregnancy and male progeny was analyzed at age of 11 weeks. Testis morphology was analyzed using frozen testis sections and expression of germ cell markers was examined by RT-qPCR; regulatory histone modifications were assessed by WB. A genome-wide DNA methylation was analyzed using MEDIP-seq. We also carried out transcriptomics analysis in pituitary gland with RNA-seq.