Role of d-ribose-l-cysteine in pregnant Sprague-Dawley rats administered nicotine
Nicotine a major constituent of cigarettes has been found to impact pregnancy in any trimester. It crosses the placenta barrier and has been found in the amniotic fluid and fetal blood. This study determined the role of D-Ribose-L-Cysteine (DRLC) a compound that enhances the production of intracellular glutathione on nicotine-induced toxicities during pregnancy. Twenty-eight pregnant Sprague-Dawley rats were used for this study. The rats were divided into four groups; control, nicotine, nicotine + DRLC and DRLC alone group. DRLC (200 mg/kg orally) and nicotine (0.5 mg/kg subcutaneously) was administered from day 4 to day 18 of pregnancy. The rats were sacrificed on day 19 of pregnancy and blood pressure was measured in the rats using the invasive method. Blood was collected to estimate liver enzymes and c-reactive protein (CRP) concentrations. The placenta was homogenized and used to estimate the oxidative stress indices. Nicotine reduced the fetal and placenta weights of the rats and increased blood pressure. Co-administration of nicotine + DRLC increased the fetal and placenta weights significantly and reduced the increased blood pressure of the rats when compared with the nicotine group (p<0.05). Malondialdehyde (MDA) level was increased and reduced glutathione (GSH) level was reduced in the nicotine group. The nicotine + DRLC group reduced the MDA levels and increased the GSH levels compared with the nicotine group. CRP and aspartate aminotransferase (AST) levels were significantly increased in the nicotine group. DRLC improved pregnancy outcomes by reducing blood pressure, oxidative stress and inflammation index altered by nicotine.
Keywords: D-Ribose-L-Cysteine, Fetal growth, Glutathione, Nicotine, Pregnancy
*Correspondence: goludare@unilag.edu.ng, +2347035363115
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