Maternal exposure to nicotine causes oxidative stress and inflammatory changes in the ovaries of rats’ adult offspring

Nicotine is one of the most toxic substances found in cigarettes, but also found in chewing tobacco gum, patches and vaping products (electronic cigarettes). In addition to being a highly addictive chemical, it is capable of reducing fertility in men and women. In the ovaries, it can induce morphological changes and impair the formation of follicles, being a possible cause of changes in the reproductive cycle and anticipation of menopause in women whose mothers smoked during pregnancy. By increasing the generation of free radicals, nicotine can induce oxidation in biological samples and change the expression of inflammatory cytokines. It damages the immune system and many other cells of newborns exposed prenatally. Despite its teratogenic potential, many women continue to use this drug during pregnancy and lactation. Thus, this work aims to analyze the effects of maternal exposure to nicotine on the ovaries of adult rats. To this end, 10 rats received nicotine throughout pregnancy and lactation. Their offspring were euthanized around 90 days-old, in the metestrus phase, for ovary collection and analysis of oxidative stress and inflammation. The results showed that exposure to nicotine increased MDA level, but did not cause damage to the DNA of ovarian cells (8-OHdG). It also increased IL-1β and anti-inflammatory protein AnxA1 and receptor Fpr1, and reduced the mast cell population in ovaries. We concluded that maternal exposure to nicotine is capable of inducing oxidative stress and leading to inflammatory changes in the ovaries of adult offspring exposed during the intrauterine and breastfeeding phases.