Respiratory Environmental Health, Wal-yan Respiratory Research Centre, Telethon Kids Institute, Nedlands, Western Australia, Australia.
Respiratory Environmental Health, Wal-yan Respiratory Research Centre, Telethon Kids Institute, Nedlands, Western Australia, Australia; School of Human Sciences, University of Western Australia, Nedlands, Western Australia, Australia.
Physiol Behav. 2023 May 1;263:114118. doi: 10.1016/j.physbeh.2023.114118. Epub 2023 Feb 14.
Electronic cigarettes (e-cigarettes) are often perceived to be safer than smoking, which has led to some women switching to e-cigarettes during pregnancy. However, the effects of switching from smoking to e-cigarettes on both pregnancy outcomes and the foetus are largely unknown. This study aimed to investigate the effects of switching from tobacco smoking to e-cigarette use in very early pregnancy on birth outcomes, neurodevelopment and behaviour of the offspring.
Female BALB/c mice were exposed to cigarette smoke for up to two weeks before being mated. Mated dams were then allocated to one of four treatment groups: (i) continued exposure to cigarette smoke (ii) exposure to e-cigarette aerosol with nicotine, (iii) or without nicotine, or (iv) medical air. Pregnant mice were exposed for 2 h per day for the duration of pregnancy. Gestational outcomes including litter size and sex ratio were assessed, in addition to early-life markers of physical- and neuro- development. At 8 weeks of age, motor coordination, anxiety, locomotion, memory and learning of the adult offspring were assessed.
Gestational outcomes and early markers of physical- and neuro- development were unaffected by in utero exposure, as well as locomotion, anxiety-like behaviour, and object recognition memory during adulthood. However, both e-cigarette groups displayed increased spatial recognition memory compared to air exposed controls. Maternal exposure to nicotine containing e-cigarette aerosol was found to increase offspring bodyweight and impair motor skill learning.
These results suggest there may be some benefits as well as negative effects of switching to e-cigarettes in early pregnancy.
电子烟通常被认为比吸烟更安全，这导致一些女性在怀孕期间转而使用电子烟。然而，从吸烟转为使用电子烟对妊娠结局和胎儿的影响在很大程度上尚不清楚。本研究旨在调查在早孕期间从吸烟转为使用电子烟对出生结局、后代的神经发育和行为的影响。
雌性 BALB/c 小鼠在交配前最多接受两周的香烟烟雾暴露。然后将交配后的母鼠分配到四个治疗组之一：（i）继续暴露于香烟烟雾中，（ii）暴露于含尼古丁的电子烟气溶胶中，（iii）或不含尼古丁，或（iv）医用空气。怀孕的老鼠在整个怀孕期间每天暴露 2 小时。评估了妊娠结局，包括胎仔数量和性别比例，以及早期的身体和神经发育标志物。在 8 周龄时，评估成年后代的运动协调能力、焦虑、运动、记忆和学习能力。
宫内暴露以及成年期的运动、焦虑样行为和物体识别记忆均未影响妊娠结局和早期的身体和神经发育标志物。然而，与暴露于空气中的对照组相比，两个电子烟组的空间识别记忆均有所提高。母体暴露于含尼古丁的电子烟气溶胶会增加后代的体重，并损害运动技能学习能力。
这些结果表明，在早孕期间转而使用电子烟可能既有好处，也有负面影响。
