Effect of nicotine on the estrous cycle of female rat / Muhd Hilmi Mohtar

The prevalence of smoking among Malaysian adults aged 15 years and above had increased from 21 % in 1985 to 31 % in 2000. Some 49% of all adult male and 5% of all females are now current smokers. Due largely to population increase, the number of smokers will continue to rise. (Tobacco CPG Malaysia-New 2003). Hazards of smoking to health is a well known fact, but the number of smokers are still on the increasing trend. Based on the claim made that smoking has adverse reproduction outcomes in women such as infertility, younger age of menopause and menstrual disorder, this research study was conducted using nicotine, which is one of the chemicals present in tobacco product that have effect on physiological system of human. The effect of nicotine on estrous cycle of rats was studied. The method used was through observation of cells present after vaginal smear for duration of 16 days. Result of the study showed that nicotine did prolong the length of the mean estrous cycle from 4.38 days in the controlled samples to 5.54 days in the samples that was injected subcutaneously with nicotine.