الفهرس | Only 14 pages are availabe for public view |
Abstract Nicotine exposure during pregnancy continues to be a widespread public health problem, impacting both fetal and postnatal health . Although the deleterious effects of nicotine on fetal development and the newborn have been extensively investigated, few studies have focused on its negative effects on the maternal adaptations to pregnancy especially relevant on renal functions (Conrad and Davison, 2014). The present work was performed to study the effects of chronic nicotine exposure on the maternal renal adaptations during pregnancy and its possible underlying mechanisms. This study was carried out on 36 adult virgin female albino rats, randomly divided into 2 main groups; each was further subdivided into 3 subgroups (6 rats each): group I (virgin rats): further subdivided into: group Ia Saline treated virgin rats (virgin control, VC): Received daily subcutaneous injections of saline for 4 weeks. Only the Band-Aid and waterproof tape were placed on the rat’s backs. group Ib Nicotine treated virgin rats (VN): Received daily subcutaneous injections of nicotine bitartrate (1 mg/kg) for 4 weeks, with daily application of transdermal nicotine patches on the back of each rat for continuous release of 5.2 mg nicotine/rat/day. group Ic Nicotine and L-arginine treated virgin rats (VN/L-arg): Received same nicotine therapy, like group Ib, plus 0.25% L-arginine added to water and taken by oral gavage throughout the experimental period. group II (pregnant rats): further subdivided into: group IIa Saline treated pregnant rats (pregnant control, PC) |