Premium
Amino acid uptake by human placenta: alterations by nicotine and tobacco smoke components and their implications on fetal growth
Author(s) -
Sastry B.V. Rama
Publication year - 1985
Publication title -
international journal of developmental neuroscience
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.761
H-Index - 88
eISSN - 1873-474X
pISSN - 0736-5748
DOI - 10.1016/0736-5748(85)90151-0
Subject(s) - nicotine , placenta , cigarette smoke , citation , tobacco smoke , medicine , fetus , pregnancy , library science , biology , psychiatry , environmental health , computer science , genetics
The nature of [3H]nicotine binding sites and its function in the developing fetal brain were studied in Sprague Dawley albino rats. The specific [‘HInicotine binding observed in the fetal brain represent the central nicotinic acetylcholine receptor (nAchR) : (1) affinity of [sH]nicotine binding sites, (2) displacement curve for nicotine and carbamylcholine and (3) effect of a-bungarotoxin for [‘HInicotine in the fetal brain were similar to those of adult brain. At 15 days of gestation, acetylcholine (Ach) concentration in maternal blood reached a peak’value and nAchR began to appear in the fetal brain. At the near term of gestati6n, Ach in maternal blood declined, but Ach in the feto-placental blood was unchanged and remained higher. At this time, the density of nAchR in the fetal brain reached 30% of that of adult brain. Continuous infusion of nicotine during the last week of gestation. increased the density of nAchR without affecting Kd values for [‘H]nicotine binding. The activity of nascent catecholaminergic neurons seems to be correlated with the development of nAchR in the fetal brain. The effect of maternal nicotine on the activity of catecholaminergic neurons in the developing fetal brain will be discussed. (The study was supported by The Council for Tobacco Research 1371M.)