International Journal of Anatomical Sciences 2013, 4(2): 11-13

Research Article

Nicotine Exposure During Gestation on Neonatal Rat Testis Indicate Possibility of Fertility Impairment at Adulthood

Anitha V, Venkata Lakshmi N, Sumathy G, Karthik Ganesh M, Prakash S.

Department of Anatomy, Dr. Arcot Lakshmanasamy Mudaliar Postgraduate Institute of Basic Medical Sciences, University of Madras, Chennai, Tamil Nadu, India.
Department of Anatomy, Sathyabama University Dental College and Hospital, Chennai, Tamil Nadu, India.
Department of Anatomy, Sree Balaji Dental College and Hospital, Chennai, Tamil Nadu, India.

Key words : nicotine, gestation, teratogen, testis, infertility

Abstract: Nicotine is largely consumed as a component of cigarette during smoking. Nicotine exposure during pregnancy leads to many pregnancy related issues, developmental anomalies and increased possibility of adverse health conditions in the adulthood. Though nicotine use during pregnancy has been studied in human and same were co-related with number of adverse obstetrical and developmental outcomes. However, contributions from animal studies seem to be tremendous and also able to bring about the fact that nicotine alone may be a key chemical responsible for many adverse effects associated with maternal cigarette smoking on the progeny. This study was done using pregnant female Wistar Albino rats to investigate the effect of nicotine administration during individual trimesters and full gestation on testis of the neonates. The male pups were picked from the each litter and were used for this study. Observations showed gross change in testis with a decline in testicular size in full gestation treated group (Nic-Full-Trim) when compare to control, 1st (Nic-I-Trim) and 2nd (Nic-II-Trim) trimester treated rats. Histology of testis reveled seminiferous tubules with disorganized and degenerating cells in the lumen in nicotine administrate during 3rd trimester (Nic-III-Trim). In Nic-Full-Trim group the diameter of the seminiferous tubules and germ cell number were much reduced. The severity of the damage was more obvious in Nic-Full-Trim group which showed much reduced testicular size and tubules, degenerating cells and increased interstitial space with marked collagen deposition when compare to the rest of the nicotine treated groups. Increased Caspase-3 and NFκB expression in nicotine treated groups indicate activation of apoptotic pathway in germ cells. Observations indicate that Nic-III-Trim and Nic-Full-Trim groupÂ’s male progeny testis were severall affected by nicotine exposure and probably would show impaired fertility at adulthood.