This $623,177 federal Project Grant award from the National Institute on Drug Abuse (CFDA 93.279 - Drug Use and Addiction Research Programs) will support research at the Hennepin Healthcare Research Institute (HHRI) to investigate the effects of maternal exposure to electronic nicotine delivery system (ENDS) aerosols during pregnancy on addiction-related behaviors and neurobiological outcomes in offspring.
The goal of this 5-year study is to use animal models to assess the impact of prenatal ENDS exposure on measures of impulsivity, nicotine abuse liability, and reinforcement-related neurocircuitry function in the offspring. The research will include exposing pregnant rats to fruit-flavored and tobacco-flavored ENDS aerosols, as well as nicotine alone, to compare the relative contributions of nicotine versus other ENDS constituents. Cell-specific changes in gene expression, chromatin accessibility, and nicotinic acetylcholine receptor upregulation in key brain reward regions will also be analyzed to elucidate potential neurobiological mechanisms mediating the observed behavioral effects. The findings are expected to provide new insights into the potential risks of ENDS use during pregnancy and suggest areas of interest for future preclinical and human brain imaging studies.
Generated 4/1/25, 3:12 AM