Hager S. Marzouk1, Ashraf S. Awaad2*, Rasha E. Abo-Eleneen1, Ahlam M. El-Bakry1

Abstract | Nicotine, the most important constituent of tobacco, is responsible for habit forming properties of tobacco chewing and cigarette smoking. Nicotine exposure is also associated with a variety of organ damage. Therefore, the objective of this study was to show the effects of different nicotine states on liver of rat newborns at postnatal days (PNDs) 7, 14 and 21. Nicotine was intraperitoneally injected from gestation day 6 to lactation day 21. The animals were divided into three groups as follows (1) Group A, mothers were treated with saline (control group); (2) Group B, mothers were given nicotine (0.5 mg/kg) and (3) Group C, mothers were given nicotine (1.5 mg/kg). The results showed that nicotine exposure caused significant elevation of alanine transaminase (ALT), aspirate transaminase (AST), in hepatic tissues and reduced plasma total protein and antioxidant parameters (glutathione; GSH, superoxide dismutase; SOD and catalase; CAT). The liver in the nicotine-treated group showed degenerative changes as vacuolated cytoplasm of hepatocytes, congestion of central vein and dilated sinusoids, necrosis and inflammation. These changes increased as nicotine dose increased and the age progress. The result indicated that nicotine induced a degenerative effect on the liver of the neonates and these alterations, on both treated groups, were age and dose dependent.

Keywords | Nicotine, Neonates, Liver, Histopathology, Oxidative stress, Antioxidant enzyme