The effect of cigarette smoke exposure on mouse uterus and protective role of hypericum perfaratum extract

ABSTRACT Exposure to cigarette smoke causes a variety of damages to human tissues. Exageration of inflammatory processes plays an important role with many hazards of cigarette smoke. Mechanisim of this damage has not yet been clearly identified. Therefore in the present study we aimed to invastigate the mechanisms of inflammatory hazards of the cigarette smoke exposure and we also aimed to reveal any potential protective antiinflammatory role of Saint John Wort's extract (hipericum perforatum). In experimental study, mice (Swis albino, female age: 8 weeks) separated into three groups; controls (without cigarette smoke exposure) cigarettes smoke group and St John's wort group (with cigarette smoke exposure). The cigarette smoke application continued 6 days in a week during eight weeks. In the end of eight weeks, the mice were killed by cervical dislocation and their uterus were isolated after abdominal dissection. Homogenized isolated uterus were studied with ELISA technique to determine the enzyme levels of determinants of inflamation namely; cyclooxygenase 2, cytosolic Phospholipase A2 and inducible Nitric Oxide Synthase activity. Cigarettes smoke exposure increased levels of aferomentioned enzyme levels significantly and this increase were observed to be reversed with hypericum Perforatum extract pretreatment. In this study; we showed that cigarette smoke exposure increased the enzyme levels of inflamatory response and this proinflamatory effect was shown to be blocked by hypericum perforatum extract. This study might have a contribution for understanding the underlying pathological mechanisms of preterm birth and low birth weight infants which were observed more often in women with cigarette smokers. İncreased myometrial inflamatory response might have a role for these adverse pregnancy outcomes. Therefore this study provides valuable information for further human studies which should investigate both the potential role of inflammation in uterine function and protective role of hypericum perfaratum in such cases.