The effect of fetal and neonatal nicotine exposure on renal development of AT(1) and AT(2) receptors.

AIMS

Maternal cigarette smoking accompanied with fetal and neonatal growth restriction causes abnormalities in organ development in the postnatal life. The present study determined the effect of maternal administration of nicotine on the development of the kidney in rats by examining the expression of renal angiotensin II receptors at mRNA and protein levels as well as kidney weight during postnatal development.

METHODS

Nicotine was administered to pregnant rats via subcutaneous osmotic minipumps throughout gestation and up to 10 days after delivery. Kidneys were removed and collected from both male and female offspring at ages of 14-day-old, 30-day-old, and 5-month-old. Maternal nicotine administration significantly reduced renal AT(2) receptor (AT(2)R) mRNA and protein abundance in both males and females at all three developmental ages examined.

RESULTS

Although AT(1) receptor (AT(1)R) mRNA and protein levels were not significantly changed between the control offspring and the offspring exposed to maternal nicotine during the early developmental period, the renal AT(1)R/AT(2)R ratio was significantly increased. This was associated with a significant decrease of kidney weight in both male and female offspring.

CONCLUSIONS

The results demonstrated that the development of renal angiotensin II receptor could be changed following exposure to perinatal nicotine, and such change in the kidney could be long-term in postnatal life.