Prenatal cigarette smoke exposure slightly alters neurobehavioral development in neonatal rats: Implications for developmental origins of health and disease (DoHAD).

B Mammel,J Farkas,T Atlasz,J Gyarmati,T Kvárik,D Reglődi,P Kiss,Zs Helyes,T Ertl,Zs Szabó

doi:10.1556/2060.2020.00007

B Mammel, J Farkas + Show 8 more

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https://doi.org/10.1556/2060.2020.00007

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Journal: Physiology international	Publication Date: Mar 1, 2020
Citations: 2	License type: CC BY 4.0

Affiliation: University of Pecs

Abstract

Numerous studies indicate that smoking during pregnancy exerts harmful effects on fetal brain development. The aim of this study was to determine the influence of maternal smoking during pregnancy on the early physical and neurobehavioral development of newborn rats. Wistar rats were subjected to whole-body smoke exposure for 2 × 40 min daily from the day of mating until day of delivery. For this treatment, a manual closed-chamber smoking system and 4 research cigarettes per occasion were used. After delivery the offspring were tested daily for somatic growth, maturation of facial characteristics and neurobehavioral development until three weeks of age. Motor coordination tests were performed at 3 and 4 weeks of age. We found that prenatal cigarette smoke exposure did not alter weight gain or motor coordination. Critical physical reflexes indicative of neurobehavioral development (eyelid reflex, ear unfolding) appeared significantly later in pups prenatally exposed to smoke as compared to the control group. Prenatal smoke exposure also resulted in a delayed appearance of reflexes indicating neural maturity, including hind limb grasping and forelimb placing reflexes. In conclusion, clinically relevant prenatal exposure to cigarette smoke results in slightly altered neurobehavioral development in rat pups. These findings suggest that chronic exposure of pregnant mothers to cigarette smoke (including passive smoking) results in persisting alterations in the developing brain, which may have long-lasting consequences supporting the concept of developmental origins of health and disease (DoHAD).

Highlights

Numerous studies indicate that smoking during pregnancy may have harmful effects on the newborn
We found that prenatal cigarette smoke exposure did not alter weight gain or motor coordination
Clinically relevant prenatal exposure to cigarette smoke results in slightly altered neurobehavioral development in rat pups. These findings suggest that chronic exposure of pregnant mothers to cigarette smoke results in persisting alterations in the developing brain, which may have long-lasting consequences supporting the concept of developmental origins of health and disease (DoHAD)

Summary

Introduction

Numerous studies indicate that smoking during pregnancy may have harmful effects on the newborn. The major components in tobacco smoke that have been shown to interfere with brain development are carbon monoxide and nicotine [9]. Nicotine has negative effects on brain and lung development [6, 17, 35, 42]. Exposure to maternal smoking may lead to fetal hypoxia and ischemia, which affect brain development. Recent studies reported that parental smoking during maternal pregnancy may be associated with an increased risk of childhood overweight as well as obesity in adulthood leading to hypertension and other cardiovascular diseases [2, 8, 11, 15, 51]. Maternal smoking during pregnancy has been associated with increased risk of wheezing, asthma, airway hyper responsiveness, impaired lung function, and bronchitis [7]

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