Long-term effects of gestational nicotine exposure and food-restriction on gene expression in the striatum of adolescent rats

TY - JOUR

T1 - Long-term effects of gestational nicotine exposure and food-restriction on gene expression in the striatum of adolescent rats

AU - Ilott, Nicholas E

AU - Schneider, Tomasz

AU - Mill, Jonathan

AU - Schalkwyk, Leonard

AU - Brolese, Giovana

AU - Bizarro, Lisiane

AU - Stolerman, Ian P

AU - Dempster, Emma

AU - Asherson, Philip

PY - 2014/2/19

Y1 - 2014/2/19

N2 - Gestational exposure to environmental toxins such as nicotine may result in detectable gene expression changes in later life. To investigate the direct toxic effects of prenatal nicotine exposure on later brain development, we have used transcriptomic analysis of striatal samples to identify gene expression differences between adolescent Lister Hooded rats exposed to nicotine in utero and controls. Using an additional group of animals matched for the reduced food intake experienced in the nicotine group, we were also able to assess the impact of imposed food-restriction on gene expression profiles. We found little evidence for a role of gestational nicotine exposure on altered gene expression in the striatum of adolescent offspring at a significance level of p0.5|, although we cannot exclude the possibility of nicotine-induced changes in other brain regions, or at other time points. We did, however, find marked gene expression differences in response to imposed food-restriction. Food-restriction resulted in significant group differences for a number of immediate early genes (IEGs) including Fos, Fosb, Fosl2, Arc, Junb, Nr4a1 and Nr4a3. These genes are associated with stress response pathways and therefore may reflect long-term effects of nutritional deprivation on the development of the stress system.

AB - Gestational exposure to environmental toxins such as nicotine may result in detectable gene expression changes in later life. To investigate the direct toxic effects of prenatal nicotine exposure on later brain development, we have used transcriptomic analysis of striatal samples to identify gene expression differences between adolescent Lister Hooded rats exposed to nicotine in utero and controls. Using an additional group of animals matched for the reduced food intake experienced in the nicotine group, we were also able to assess the impact of imposed food-restriction on gene expression profiles. We found little evidence for a role of gestational nicotine exposure on altered gene expression in the striatum of adolescent offspring at a significance level of p0.5|, although we cannot exclude the possibility of nicotine-induced changes in other brain regions, or at other time points. We did, however, find marked gene expression differences in response to imposed food-restriction. Food-restriction resulted in significant group differences for a number of immediate early genes (IEGs) including Fos, Fosb, Fosl2, Arc, Junb, Nr4a1 and Nr4a3. These genes are associated with stress response pathways and therefore may reflect long-term effects of nutritional deprivation on the development of the stress system.

U2 - 10.1371/journal.pone.0088896

DO - 10.1371/journal.pone.0088896

M3 - Article

C2 - 24586432

SN - 1932-6203

VL - 9

SP - N/A

JO - PLoS ONE

JF - PLoS ONE

IS - 2

M1 - e88896

ER -