PT  - JOURNAL ARTICLE
AU  - A.N. Larcombe
AU  - R.E. Foong
AU  - L.J. Berry
AU  - G.R. Zosky
AU  - P.D. Sly
TI  - <em>In utero</em> cigarette smoke exposure impairs somatic and lung growth in BALB/c mice
AID  - 10.1183/09031936.00156910
DP  - 2011 Jan 01
TA  - European Respiratory Journal
PG  - erj01569-2010
4099  - http://erj.ersjournals.com/content/early/2011/02/10/09031936.00156910.short
4100  - http://erj.ersjournals.com/content/early/2011/02/10/09031936.00156910.full
AB  - The aim of this study was to assess whether in utero tobacco smoke exposure alone impacts early-life lung growth and development.Pregnant BALB/c mice were exposed to cigarette smoke from 6 cigarettes per day, or air, from day 8 to 20 of gestation. At two weeks of age, pups were weighed and had their lung volumes and lung mechanics measuredPups born from mothers exposed to cigarette smoke (CS, n=17) were significantly lighter (6.76±0.76 g vs. 7.72±0.68 g) and had lower lung volumes (0.123±0.02 mL vs. 0.149±0.02 mL) than control (Air, n=20) pups. Respiratory mechanics were adversely impacted by CS exposure. CS pups had higher baseline airway resistance (Raw), tissue damping (G) and tissue elastance (H). These differences were largely due to lower lung volumes. Both G and H were increased excessively in CS pups at high transrespiratory pressures, while other parameters were not affected. There were no histological differences between groups.in utero tobacco smoke exposure significantly impacts growth and development in BALB/c mice. These impacts may partially explain the susceptibility of infants born to smoking mothers to early respiratory disease and chronic respiratory disease as adults.