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The influence of maternal nicotine exposure on the interalveolar septal status of neonatal rat lung.
Author(s) -
Maritz G. S.,
Thomas R.A.
Publication year - 1994
Publication title -
cell biology international
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.932
H-Index - 77
eISSN - 1095-8355
pISSN - 1065-6995
DOI - 10.1006/cbir.1994.1104
Subject(s) - offspring , nicotine , lung , andrology , physiology , medicine , pathology , anatomy , endocrinology , biology , pregnancy , genetics
The aim of this study was to determine the effect of maternal nicotine exposure (1 mg nicotine/kg body mass/day, subcutaneously) on the status of the alveolar septa of the 1 to 21 day old offspring. The data obtained showed swelling of type II and interstitial cell mitochondria. The type I:type II cell ratio decreased as a result of type II cell proliferation. The number of capillaries per unit length of septum was also significantly lower than that of control lung. Ruptured blood‐air barriers also occur in the nicotine exposed lungs of rats of all age groups. The results show that maternal nicotine exposure interfered with the morphometric and morphologic characteristics of the septa of lung tissue of the offspring.