Effects of prenatal exposure to nicotine on spontaneous correlated wave activity and the brain development

2022 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 19K06962
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research (C)
• Allocation Type: Multi-year Fund
• Section: 一般
• Review Section: Basic Section 46030:Function of nervous system-related
• Research Institution: Kanto Gakuin University
• Principal Investigator: Momose-Sato Yoko 関東学院大学, 栄養学部, 教授 (70251501)
• Project Period (FY): 2019-04-01 – 2023-03-31
• Keywords: ニコチン / 胎生期 / 脱分極波 / 神経系 / 発生 / 光学イメージング

Outline of Final Research Achievements

Correlated spontaneous activity propagating over a wide region of the central nervous system is expressed during a specific period of embryonic development. Our previous studies using an antagonist of nicotinic acetylcholine receptors raised the possibility that prenatal nicotine exposure associated with maternal smoking affects the development of neural circuit formation by interfering with the correlated wave. In the present study, we tested this hypothesis by examining the effects of nicotine in avian and mammalian embryos. The application of nicotine transiently increased, but subsequently inhibited electrical bursts associated with the correlated wave. Furthermore, chronic exposure to nicotine in ovo markedly reduced functional synaptic expression in the brainstem sensory nucleus, the parabrachial nucleus. The results suggested that prenatal nicotine exposure disrupts the initial formation of neural circuitry by inhibiting the correlated spontaneous activity.

Free Research Field

神経生理学

Academic Significance and Societal Importance of the Research Achievements

妊娠中の喫煙は、胎児・新生児期における様々な脳機能障害や致死的疾患に関与していることが知られている。本研究の成果は、妊娠中の喫煙がおよぼす神経系への影響について、広範囲伝播脱分極波の阻害による神経回路網形成の異常という新たな病態メカニズムの概念を導入した。喫煙の影響は、本人の禁煙だけで解決できる問題ではなく、受動喫煙による障害をいかにして防ぎ、被った影響をいかにして是正するかが大きな社会問題となっている。本研究の成果は、臨床病態生理学のみならず、社会学的にも大きな影響をもたらすことが期待される。