DOES SMOKING OF DIABETIC RAT MOTHERS' IN PRE_PREGNANCY PERIOD EXERT EFFECTS ON FETAL OUTCOME?

Abstract

The potential effects of cigarette smoke exposure on reproductive outcomes are a major scientific and public health concern. Maternal hyperglycemia during early pregnancy is associated with increased risk of abnormalities in the offspring which are 2-5-fold higher than that of the normal population.  Is to evaluate the effect of smoking in pre-pregnancy period of diabetic mothers on fetal development.  Sixty diabetic female rats were randomly distributed in three experimental groups, according to presence or absence of cigarette smoke exposure: group I; twenty diabetic rats exposed to filtered air that serve as negative control group(D), group II; twenty diabetic rats exposed to cigarette smoke before and during pregnancy (DS) and serves as positive control and group III; twenty diabetic rats exposed only to cigarette smoke in pre-pregnancy period (DSPP). Diabetes was induced by streptozotocin and exposure to cigarette smoke for six weeks. At day 21 of pregnancy, rats were killed for maternal biochemical determination and reproductive outcomes, and fetal anomaly analyses. Data were analyzed by tests according to symmetrical or asymmetrical distribution (data considered significant if p<0.05). The exposure to smoking reduced triglycerides and VLDL concentrations, no change in oxidants level, reduced anterior phalanges, metatarsus, and caudal vertebrae numbers in fetuses from these rats. It is necessary to cease smoking long before planning pregnancy since stopping smoking only when pregnancy is detected may not contribute effectively to fully adequate embryo-fetal development.