Maternal nicotine exposure has severe cross-generational effects on offspring behavior

Area of Science:

• Neuroscience
• Developmental Biology
• Toxicology

Background:

• Paternal nicotine exposure is linked to offspring hyperactivity.
• Cross-generational impacts of maternal and biparental nicotine exposure are not well understood.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the cross-generational behavioral effects of maternal and biparental pre-pregnancy nicotine exposure in mice.
• To explore the underlying molecular mechanisms, specifically the GSK3/p-GSK3 balance.

Main Methods:

• Mice (female and male) were exposed to nicotine before pregnancy.
• Offspring behavior (depression-like and hyperactivity) was assessed.
• The balance between GSK3 and p-GSK3 was analyzed.

Main Results:

• Maternal pre-pregnancy nicotine exposure induced depression-like behaviors in F1 offspring.
• Biparental exposure resulted in 70% depressive, 20% hyperactive, and 10% normal offspring phenotypes.
• Nicotine disrupted the GSK3/p-GSK3 balance, mediating cross-generational effects.

Conclusions:

• Pre-pregnancy nicotine exposure induces significant behavioral alterations in offspring.
• Maternal nicotine exposure demonstrates particularly severe cross-generational effects.
• The GSK3 pathway is implicated in mediating nicotine's transgenerational behavioral consequences.