Resveratrol prevents nicotine-induced teratogenesis in cultured mouse embryos

Nicotine, a major toxic component in tobacco smoke, leads to severe embryonic damage during organogenesis in embryos. We investigated whether resveratrol would positively influence nicotine-induced teratogenesis in mouse embryos (embryonic day 8.5) cultured for 48 h using a whole embryo culture system. Embryos exposed to nicotine (1 mM) revealed significantly severe morphological anomalies, increased levels of caspase-3 mRNA and lipid peroxidation, and decreased levels of cytoplasmic superoxide dismutase (SOD), mitochondria! manganese SOD, cytosolic glutathione peroxidase, phospholipid hydroperoxide glutathione peroxidase, hypoxia-inducible factor 1 alpha, Bcl-x(L), and sirtuin1 (SIRT1) mRNAs and SOD activity compared to those in the normal control group. However, when resveratrol (1 x 10(-8) mu M or 1 x 10(-7) mu M) was added concurrently to the embryos exposed to nicotine, all the parameters in above improved conspicuously. These findings indicate that resveratrol has a noted protective effect against nicotine-induced teratogenesis in mouse embryos through its antioxidative and anti-apoptotic effects. (c) 2012 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.