Maternal nicotine vaping activates neonatal innate immunity in mice 3745

Abstract Description Electronic cigarettes, also known as e-cigarettes or vapes, are battery-operated devices that heat and produce aerosols for inhalation. Maternal nicotine e-cigarette use during pregnancy can have detrimental effects on fetal growth and development, which may be in part due to deleterious effects of nicotine vapor exposure on innate immunity of the developing fetus tethered to the harmful chemicals and toxins present in the vaping device. Understanding these effects is crucial for identifying potential risks to fetal health and developing interventions that may mitigate the impact of maternal stress on the developing immune system. We hypothesized that murine maternal exposure to nicotine e-cigarette vapor would lead to neonatal innate immune activation. Our preliminary studies showed that pregnant mice chronically (five times per week, from gestational day 14 through 21, or birth) exposed to e-cigarette vapor in-utero exhibited alterations in inflammatory response, as demonstrated through the increased production of pro-inflammatory cytokines in the gut, including TLR4, IL-6, TNF, and IL-1b, by RT-PCR. We also show the activation of neonatal immune cells, including microglia in the brain and neutrophils in the lung via immunohistochemistry. Consistent with our hypothesis, these findings reveal maternal vaping induces immunological signaling and leads to innate immune activation in neonatal mouse lung, gut, and brain, suggesting a role in adverse immunological outcomes. Funding Sources Supported by NIH/NIGMS R35GM141956; Vivien Thomas Scholars Initiative. Topic Categories Innate Immune Responses and Host Defense: Molecular Mechanisms (INM)