Pregnancy and Postpartum Effects of Electronic Cigarettes on Maternal Health and Vascular Function in the Fourth Trimester.

Pregnancy is a vulnerable time with significant cardiovascular changes that can lead to adverse outcomes, which can extend into the postpartum window. Exposure to emissions from electronic cigarettes (Ecig), commonly known as "vaping," has an adverse impact on cardiovascular function during pregnancy and post-natal life of offspring, but the postpartum effects on maternal health are poorly understood. We used a Sprague Dawley rat model, where pregnant dams are exposed to Ecigs between gestational day (GD)2-GD21 to examine postpartum consequences.

The alarmin, interleukin-33, increases vascular tone via extracellular signal regulated kinase-mediated Ca sensitization and endothelial nitric oxide synthase inhibition.

Alarmins are classified by their release from damaged or ruptured cells. Many alarmins have been found to increase vascular tone and oppose endothelium-dependent dilatation (EDD). Interleukin (IL)-33 plays a prominent role in lung injury and can be released during vascular injury and in chronic studies found to be cardioprotective.

Maternal nano-titanium dioxide inhalation exposure alters placental cyclooxygenase and oxidant balance in a sexually dimorphic manner.

The placenta plays a critical role in nutrient-waste exchange between the maternal and fetal circulation, and thus impacts fetal growth and development. We have previously shown that nano-titanium dioxide (nano-TiO) inhalation exposure during gestation decreased fetal female pup and placenta mass [1], which persists in the following generation [2]. In utero exposed females, once mated, their offspring's placentas had increased capacity for HO production.

Fentanyl overdose: Temporal effects and prognostic factors in SKH1 mice.

Fentanyl exposure and overdose are growing concerns in public health and occupational safety. This study aimed to establish parameters of fentanyl lethality in SKH1 mice for future overdose research. Lethality was determined using the up-down procedure, with subjects monitored post-administration using pulse oximetry (5 min) and then whole-body plethysmography (40 min).

Distinct profiles of oxylipid mediators in liver, lung, and placenta after maternal nano-TiO nanoparticle inhalation exposure.

Nano-titanium dioxide (nano-TiO) is a widely used nanomaterial found in several industrial and consumer products, including surface coatings, paints, sunscreens and cosmetics, among others. Studies have linked gestational exposure to nano-TiO with negative maternal and fetal health outcomes. For example, maternal pulmonary exposure to nano-TiO during gestation has been associated not only with maternal, but also fetal microvascular dysfunction in a rat model.