Premium
E‐cigarettes damage the liver and alter nutrient metabolism in pregnant mice and their offspring
Author(s) -
Li Gerard,
Chan Yik L.,
Wang Baoming,
Saad Sonia,
George Jacob,
Oliver Brian G.,
Chen Hui
Publication year - 2020
Publication title -
annals of the new york academy of sciences
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.712
H-Index - 248
eISSN - 1749-6632
pISSN - 0077-8923
DOI - 10.1111/nyas.14411
Subject(s) - offspring , nicotine , pregnancy , in utero , physiology , liver damage , gestation , lactation , fetus , medicine , endocrinology , chemistry , biology , genetics
Approximately 15% of pregnant women vape electronic cigarettes (e‐cigarettes), exposing the fetus to a range of toxic compounds, including nicotine and by‐products of e‐cigarette liquid (e‐liquid) pyrolysis. Owing to the recent emergence of these products, research mainly focuses on immediate users, and not on in utero exposure. Therefore, this study aimed to understand the impact of intrauterine e‐cigarette vapor (e‐vapor) exposure, with and without nicotine, on liver metabolic markers in the male offspring. E‐vapor was generated using an e‐cigarette filled with tobacco‐flavored e‐liquid (18 or 0 mg/mL nicotine). Female Balb/c mice were exposed to e‐vapor for 6 weeks before mating, through gestation and lactation, without direct exposure to the offspring. Livers and plasma from dams and male offspring (13 weeks old) were examined. Exposure to nicotine‐free e‐vapor promoted metabolic changes and liver damage in both the dams and their offspring. Furthermore, exposure to nicotine‐containing e‐vapor did not cause liver damage but induced hepatic steatosis in the adult offspring. Therefore, maternal vaping is detrimental to both the dams and their offspring, with nicotine providing a potential protective effect.