Detection of nicotine and cotinine in maternal and cord blood and inducation of 7- ethoxycoumarin O-deethylase in placenta.

ABSTRACT

Placental tissues, maternal blood and cord blood, were obtained from Jordanian women at-term. Concentrations of nicotine and cotinine have been measured in maternal and cord plasma by capillary gas liquid chromatography equipped with thermionic specific detector. Nicotine levels in smokers were shown to be 15.7 +/- 4.25 and 19.4 +/- 5.62 ng/ml in maternal blood and cord plasma respectively, while, cotinine levels were 39.2 +/- 11.7 and 45.0 +/- 16.8 ng/ml in maternal and cord plasma of smokers, respectively. Supernatant fraction obtained from placentas of smoker women showed marked elevation of 7-ethoxycoumarin-O-deethylation activity [759 +/- 223 pmoles/mg protein/hr], while such activity was absent in nonsmoker placental preparations. Though, the histopathological examination did not reveal light microscopic differences between the smoker and nonsmoker placentas. Still abortion incidents were 4 times greater in smoker mothers than in nonsmokers. Therefore, pregnant women should be advised not to smoke because of the cigarette smoke hazards to the fetus as well as to the mother