Investigation of effects on oxidant / antioxidant balance in rat brain tissue of prenatal and postnatal nicotine exposure and investigation of the protective role of vitamin E

Investigation of Effects on Oxidant / Antioxidant Balance in Rat Brain Tissue of Prenatal and Postnatal Nicotine Exposure and Investigation of the Protective Role of Vitamin E Aim: The aim of this study is to examine the protective effects of vitamin E on brain tissue damage caused by nicotine administered to rats in prenatal and postnatal periods. Material and Method: Pregnant rats were randomly divided into 4 different groups as Control, Vitamin E, Nicotine, Vitamin E + Nicotine. Nicotine (10 mg/L) and vitamin E (300 mg/L) were administered in water. The rats exposed to nicotine during fetal life constituted the prenatal group. The rats exposed to nicotine for 15 weeks from the first day of gestation and during the period after lactation and lactation constituted the postnatal group. BDNF, GSH, MDA, TAS and TOS levels were measured in both prenatal and postnatal brain tissues. Results: When the control group and experimental group data were compared; it was determined that the morphological development parameters of both prenatal and postnatal offspring of the nicotine group were severely impaired, the levels of MDA and TOS in the brain tissues increased significantly, and the levels of BDNF, GSH and TAS decreased. In both prenatal and postnatal rats, administration of vitamin E together with nicotine significantly improves the fetal development morphological parameters that nicotine impairs significantly, and significantly lowers MDA and TOS levels in the brain tissue of prenatal and postnatal rat pups; ıt has been shown that it significantly increases the levels of BDNF, GSH and TAS. Conclusion: Using vitamin E to increase brain antioxidant capacity in prenatal and postnatal nicotine exposure to maintain oxidant-antioxidant balance may be a solution to protect from future neurological dysfunction. Key Words: Brain, nicotine, prenatal, postnatal, rat, vitamin E.