Effects of prenatal exposure to passive cigarrette smoke and nicotine on nitric oxide and blood glucose levels of rats

Abstract

ABSTRACT:  The effects of prenatal exposure to cigarette smoke or nicotine on plasma nitric oxide and blood glucose level of adult rats was studied in this work.

     Fifteen female Wistar rats were divided into 3 groups of five rats each (A-C).Group A rats were exposed to cigarette smoke in an exposure chamber, Group B rats were administered 0.25 mg/kg b.w of nicotine while Group C rats served as the Control. After mating and gestation, litters from each group were randomly subdivided into two groups of 5 neonates each. Group A: A₁ and A₂, Group B:B_1, and B₂,Group C:C₁ and C₂.

Groups A₁, B₁ and C₁ were further administered 50 mg/kg b.w Vitamin C for 4 weeks after birth; Groups A₂ and B₂ and C₂ received nothing .Blood samples were collected from all animals and nitric oxide and blood glucose levels were estimated.

      Results show that the neonate s of animals exposed to cigarette smoke had a significantly higher nitric oxide concentration than those not exposed, and a significantly lower blood glucose level(61.00 +2.03 mg/ dL) when compared with the control(75.50 + 3.73 mg/dL).On the other hand prenatal exposure to nicotine neither had a significant effect  on  nitric oxide concentration(12.50+2.10 µM) when compared with the control(10.75+2.95 µM) nor on blood glucose level  (74.17+3.48 mg/dL) and (75.50+3.73 mg/dL)respectively.

      The effects of cigarette smoke shown here could not be attributed to the pharmacological activity of nicotine,but may be related to the formation of smoking induced oxidative free radicals,as administration of anti-oxidant,vitamin C,reversed these effects.