Maternal tobacco smoke exposure during lactation inhibits catecholamine production by adrenal medullae in adult rat offspring

Previously, we have shown that maternal smoke exposure during lactation, even when pups are not exposed, affects biochemical profiles in the offspring at weaning, eliciting lower body adiposity, hyperinsulinemia, hypocorticosteronemia and lower adrenal catecholamine content. However, the future impact of tobacco exposure is still unknown. As postnatal nicotine exposure causes short- and long-term effects on pups' biochemistry and endocrine profiles, we have now evaluated some endocrine and metabolic parameters of the adult offspring whose mothers were tobacco exposed during lactation. For this, from day 3 to 21 of lactation, rat dams were divided in: 1) SE group, cigarette smoke-exposed (1.7 mg nicotine/cigarettes for 1 h, 4 times/day, daily), without their pups, and 2) C group, exposed to air, in the same conditions. Offspring were killed at 180-days-old. Body weight and food intake were evaluated. Blood, white adipose tissue, adrenal, and liver were collected. All significant data were p<0.05. The adult SE offspring showed no change in body weight, cumulative food intake, serum hormone profile, serum lipid profile, or triglycerides content in liver. However, in adrenal gland, adult SE offspring showed lower catecholamine content ( - 50%) and lower tyrosine hydroxylase protein expression ( - 56%). Despite the hormonal alterations during lactation, tobacco smoke exposure through breast milk only programmed the adrenal medullary function at adulthood and this dysfunction can have consequence on stress response. Thus, an environment free of smoke during lactation period is essential to improve health outcomes in adult offspring.