Fetal Malnutrition and Cigarette Smoke Exposure Impair Lung Development in Newborn Mice.

Authors

Thalles de Freitas Castro, Pedro Alves Machado-Junior, Ana Beatriz Farias de Souza, Natália Alves de Matos, Maria Laura da Cruz Castro, Renata Rebeca Pereira, Luiza Oliveira Perucci, Jamille Mirelle de Oliveira Cardoso, Bruno Mendes Roatt, Daniela Caldeira Costa, André Talvani, Deoclécio Chianca-Junior, Rodrigo Cunha Alvim de Menezes, Frank Silva Bezerra

Published in

Food and chemical toxicology : an international journal published for the British Industrial Biological Research Association. Pages 116425. Oct 03, 2026. Epub Oct 03, 2026.

Abstract

Our study aimed to investigate the impact of maternal protein restriction and gestational cigarette smoke exposure on lung development, inflammation, and redox balance in newborn mice. Pregnant C57BL/6 mice were divided into four groups: control (CG), protein restriction (PR), cigarette smoke (CS), and protein restriction with cigarette smoke (PRCS). Animals were subjected to a low-protein diet and/or cigarette smoke exposure during gestation. Male offspring were evaluated 24 hours after birth for biometric parameters, lung structure, inflammatory, oxidative stress, and extracellular matrix markers. The association between PR and CS exposure resulted in reduced body and lung mass, which indicated impaired growth biometric data. Morphometric analysis revealed increased alveolar airspace and reduced septal density, suggesting disrupted alveolarization. PR and CS modulated inflammatory responses, with increased expression of NF-κB, IL-1β, CCL-2, TNF-α, and leptin, alongside elevated VEGF and IL-10 levels. Oxidative stress was evidenced by increased SOD and CAT activities as well as elevated lipid peroxidation. Our findings demonstrate that maternal PR associated with CS exposure disrupts lung development and promotes early-life pulmonary inflammation and redox imbalance in male offspring. This study highlights the importance of maternal environmental factors during gestation and their implications for neonatal lung development.

PMID:
42829194
Bibliographic data and abstract were imported from PubMed on 04 Oct 2026.

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