Prenatal Effects of Nicotine During Different Trimesters on Postnatal Development

Abstract

DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.5915/17-2_3-12751

Three different doses of nicotine were used daily for seven consecutive days, and administered during each trimester into three groups of 10 pregnant mice. The doses used were equivalent to 10 cigarettes (900 μg/kg), 20 cigarettes (1800 μg/kg) or 30 cigarettes (2700μ g/kg). For each trimester and for each dose one sub-group of 10 offspring from drug or normal saline (control)-treated mothers were randomly selected and their postnatal developments were observed during the first and the second month of their age.

All the doses of the prenatal nicotine significantly reduced the body weight of the offspring at birth and postnatally.

Large doses of prenatal nicotine reduced the weight of the brain significantly during the second trimester. They also reduced the weights of the liver, heart and brain significantly during the third trimester. However, prenatal nicotine showed no effect on the weight of the kidney and the adrenal gland.

These results indicate that large doses of prenatal nicotine may retard the functions and/or the development of the vital systems of the nicotine-treated progenies if they were exposed to nicotine during the second and third trimesters.