Prenatal nicotine exposure and the programming of metabolic and cardiovascular disorders

Presently, a growing interest is focused on the origins of the “Metabolic Syndrome”, a cluster of several metabolic disorders linking obesity, dyslipidemia, hypertension and type 2 diabetes mellitus. Clearly, genetic predisposition and deleterious lifestyle, including low physical activity and hypercaloric alimentation, have an influence on the occurrence of the Metabolic Syndrome. However, recent data suggest that the Metabolic Syndrome could also be “programmed” during intrauterine life by diverse insults to the growing foetus. Nicotine is the main stimulant and dependence-forming alkaloid found in tobacco, and despite medical advice, statistics show that 20–30% of female smokers continue the habit during gestation, representing around 10% of all pregnancies. In consequence, nicotine is one of the most universally dangerous chemicals to which developing foetuses are exposed. The present review focuses on recent epidemiological surveys and experimental animal studies that provide evidences indicating that pre- and postnatal nicotine exposure might be a contributing factor for the occurrence of metabolic disorders later in life.