Abstract
Previously, we have shown that maternal smoke exposure during lactation, even when
pups are not exposed, affects biochemical profiles in the offspring at weaning, eliciting
lower body adiposity, hyperinsulinemia, hypocorticosteronemia and lower adrenal catecholamine
content. However, the future impact of tobacco exposure is still unknown. As postnatal
nicotine exposure causes short- and long-term effects on pups’ biochemistry and endocrine
profiles, we have now evaluated some endocrine and metabolic parameters of the adult
offspring whose mothers were tobacco exposed during lactation. For this, from day
3 to 21 of lactation, rat dams were divided in: 1) SE group, cigarette smoke-exposed
(1.7 mg nicotine/cigarettes for 1 h, 4 times/day, daily), without their pups, and
2) C group, exposed to air, in the same conditions. Offspring were killed at 180-days-old.
Body weight and food intake were evaluated. Blood, white adipose tissue, adrenal,
and liver were collected. All significant data were p<0.05. The adult SE offspring
showed no change in body weight, cumulative food intake, serum hormone profile, serum
lipid profile, or triglycerides content in liver. However, in adrenal gland, adult
SE offspring showed lower catecholamine content ( − 50%) and lower tyrosine hydroxylase
protein expression ( − 56%). Despite the hormonal alterations during lactation, tobacco
smoke exposure through breast milk only programmed the adrenal medullary function
at adulthood and this dysfunction can have consequence on stress response. Thus, an
environment free of smoke during lactation period is essential to improve health outcomes
in adult offspring.
