Perinatal exposure to environmental tobacco smoke alters cell signaling ina primate model: autonomic receptors and the control of adenylyl cyclase activity in heart and lung

Perinatal exposure to environmental tobacco smoke (ETS) is known to have ad verse effects on respiratory function in conjunction with changes in autono mic responses. In the current study, Rhesus monkeys were exposed to ETS dur ing late gestation and in the early neonatal period. Hearts and lungs were examined for changes in beta -adrenergic and m2-muscarinic cholinergic rece ptors, and for alterations in adenylyl cyclase activity. Whereas there were no changes in the heart, there was robust induction of adenylyl cyclase: i n the lung; previous work with prenatal nicotine exposure in rodent models has shown that adenylyl cyclase induction is associated with a shift toward s predominance of cholinergic over adrenergic responses. These data indicat e that perinatal ETS exposure evokes changes in cells signaling that they a re selective for the lung and that may ultimately reflect adverse affects a t the level of physiological function. (C) 2000 Elsevier Science B.V. All r ights reserved.