Nicotine Exposure during Rodent Pregnancy Alters the Composition of Maternal Gut Microbiota and Abundance of Maternal and Amniotic Short Chain Fatty Acids
Jasenka Zubcevic,
Jacqueline Watkins,
Cindy Lin,
Byrell Bautista,
Heather M. Hatch,
Sergei G. Tevosian,
Linda F. Hayward
Affiliations
Jasenka Zubcevic
Department of Physiology and Pharmacology, University of Toledo College of Medicine, Toledo, OH 43614, USA
Jacqueline Watkins
Department of Physiological Sciences, University of Florida College of Veterinary Medicine, Gainesville, FL 32610, USA
Cindy Lin
Department of Physiological Sciences, University of Florida College of Veterinary Medicine, Gainesville, FL 32610, USA
Byrell Bautista
Department of Physiological Sciences, University of Florida College of Veterinary Medicine, Gainesville, FL 32610, USA
Heather M. Hatch
Department of Physiological Sciences, University of Florida College of Veterinary Medicine, Gainesville, FL 32610, USA
Sergei G. Tevosian
Department of Physiological Sciences, University of Florida College of Veterinary Medicine, Gainesville, FL 32610, USA
Linda F. Hayward
Department of Physiological Sciences, University of Florida College of Veterinary Medicine, Gainesville, FL 32610, USA
Tobacco smoking is the leading cause of preventable death. Numerous reports link smoking in pregnancy with serious adverse outcomes, such as miscarriage, stillbirth, prematurity, low birth weight, perinatal morbidity, and infant mortality. Corollaries of consuming nicotine in pregnancy, separate from smoking, are less explored, and the mechanisms of nicotine action on maternal–fetal communication are poorly understood. This study examined alterations in the maternal gut microbiome in response to nicotine exposure during pregnancy. We report that changes in the maternal gut microbiota milieu are an important intermediary that may mediate the prenatal nicotine exposure effects, affect gene expression, and alter fetal exposure to circulating short-chain fatty acids (SCFAs) and leptin during in utero development.
