EFFECTS OF EXPOSURE TO NICOTINE AND TO SIDESTREAM SMOKE ON PREGNANCY OUTCOME IN RATS

Nicotine-delivering transdermal patches were applied to the back of ti med-pregnant Sprague-Dawley rats. Pregnancy failure was 100% in animal s exposed to 3.5 mg of nicotine per day during the entire pregnancy an d 50% in animals exposed to the same amount during the first trimester . Application of 1.75 mg of nicotine per day resulted in a 50% pregnan cy failure when exposure occurred during the entire pregnancy. In anim als exposed for the first half of pregnancy to cigarette sidestream sm oke, under conditions where plasma nicotine levels reached about 25% o f those observed following exposure to 1.75 mg of nicotine per day, th e average litter size was reduced by about 25%. It is concluded that c ontinuous exposure to nicotine early during pregnancy may adversely af fect pregnancy outcome in rats.