Sex dependent effect of maternal e-nicotine on F1 Drosophila development and airways

• Published in: Scientific reports Vol. 11; no. 1; pp. 4441 - 13
• Main Authors: El-Merhie, Natalia, Krüger, Arne, Uliczka, Karin, Papenmeier, Stephanie, Roeder, Thomas, Rabe, Klaus F., Wagner, Christina, Angstmann, Hanna, Krauss-Etschmann, Susanne
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: London Nature Publishing Group UK 24-02-2021; Nature Publishing Group; Nature Portfolio
• Subjects: 631/136/1425; 692/699; Animals; Animals, Newborn - growth & development; Cigarettes; Developmental stages; Drosophila melanogaster - drug effects; Drosophila melanogaster - growth & development; Electronic cigarettes; Electronic Nicotine Delivery Systems; Embryogenesis; Female; Females; Fertility; Humanities and Social Sciences; Insects; Maternal Exposure - adverse effects; Molecular modelling; multidisciplinary; Nicotine; Nicotine - adverse effects; Offspring; Pregnancy; Prenatal Exposure Delayed Effects - etiology; Respiratory System - drug effects; Science; Science (multidisciplinary); Sex Factors; Tobacco smoking; Vaping - adverse effects
• ISSN: 2045-2322; 2045-2322
• DOI: 10.1038/s41598-021-81607-8

E-cigarettes are heavily advertised as healthier alternative to common tobacco cigarettes, leading more and more women to switch from regular cigarettes to ENDS (electronic nicotine delivery system) during pregnancy. While the noxious consequences of tobacco smoking during pregnancy on the offspring health are well-described, information on the long-term consequences due to maternal use of e-cigarettes do not exist so far. Therefore, we aimed to investigate how maternal e-nicotine influences offspring development from earliest life until adulthood. To this end, virgin female
Drosophila melanogaster
flies were exposed to nicotine vapor (8 µg nicotine) once per hour for a total of eight times. Following the last exposure, e-nicotine or sham exposed females were mated with non-exposed males. The F1-generation was then analyzed for viability, growth and airway structure. We demonstrate that maternal exposure to e-nicotine not only leads to reduced maternal fertility, but also negatively affects size and weight, as well as tracheal development of the F1-generation, lasting from embryonic stage until adulthood. These results not only underline the need for studies investigating the effects of maternal vaping on offspring health, but also propose our established model for analyzing molecular mechanisms and signaling pathways mediating these intergenerational changes.