Developmental changes in frontocortical morphology and neurochemistry of neonatal rats following gestational nicotine exposure.
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Date
2017
Journal Title
Journal ISSN
Volume Title
Publisher
Anatomy Journal of Africa,
Abstract
Exposure of the embryo or foetus to nicotine during development results in some forms of
neurological deficits later in life. The current study aimed at determining the effects of prenatal
nicotine administration during the 1st and 2nd gestational weeks on the frontal cortex of neonatal
Wistar rats. For each week of gestation, pregnant Wistar rats were assigned to 3 groups: a control
group (1), and two treated groups (2 and 3), and were given intra-peritoneal nicotine at 6.88 mg/
kg and 13.76 mg/kg doses respectively. The weights of the litters were taken at birth and at
postnatal day 4; the whole brain and frontal cortical weights were also assessed. Tissues for
histological demonstration were fixed in freshly prepared formol calcium, while specimen for
biochemical studies were homogenised and processed for the determination of alkaline phosphatase
(ALP) and malondialdehyde (MDA) activities. Findings in the treated animals showed low birth
weights, raised ALP but reduced MDA, with corresponding alterations in the cortical
cytoarchitecture, which could explain some of the pathological basis for the neurobehavioural
problems associated with offspring of women smokers.
Description
Keywords
prenatal nicotine, frontal cortex, morphology, alkaline phosphatase, malondialdehyde
Citation
6(2): 969 -976.