Drug Res (Stuttg) 2015; 65(08): 432-436
DOI: 10.1055/s-0034-1387739
Original Article
© Georg Thieme Verlag KG Stuttgart · New York

The Effect of Long Term Pre/postnatal Low/high Dose Nicotine Exposure on Tissue Oxidant/antioxidant Status and DNA Damage in Rats

S. Mizrak
1   Department of Medical Biochemistry, Ege University Faculty of Medicine, Izmir, Turkey
,
V. Turan
2   Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Tepecik Research and Training Hospital, Izmir, Turkey
,
O. Caglayan
3   Department of Biochemistry, Kırıkkale University Faculty of Medicine, Kırıkkale, Turkey
,
G. Ercan
1   Department of Medical Biochemistry, Ege University Faculty of Medicine, Izmir, Turkey
› Author Affiliations
Further Information

Publication History

received 11 June 2014

accepted 31 July 2014

Publication Date:
04 September 2014 (online)

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Abstract

Background: Most women do not stop smoking either during pregnancy or in the lactation period. This study was carried out to investigate the effect of long term per oral pre/postnatal low/high dose nicotine exposure on fetal plasma/tissue oxidant-antioxidant status in rats.

Methods: The study groups were composed of pups whose parents used or did not use nicotine in pregnancy and lactation period. The pups were divided into 3 groups, each consisting of 10 rats; the control group (normal drinking water), low and high dose nicotine groups according to the dose of nicotine (0.4 mg/kg and 6.0 mg/kg BW/day, respectively) given per oral in drinking water. At the end of the 12th month, tissue/hemolysate/plasma oxidant-antioxidant status parameters and 8-hydroxy-2-deoxy-guanosine levels were measured.

Results: Plasma cotinine levels were higher in nicotine groups compared to controls (p<0.01). A significant increase in liver malonyldialdehyde levels (p<0.05) and a significant decrease in kidney superoxide dismutase activities (p<0.05) were determined in both nicotine groups compared to controls while no statistically significant difference was found in the other parameters.

Conclusion: This investigation showed that long term nicotine exposure during-after pregnancy may have an adverse effect on vital organs of the offspring via impairing tissue oxidant/antioxidant balance. Liver and kidney seem to be the mostly affected organs possibly due to their major roles in nicotine metabolism.