Yunusov V. Morphofunctional features of blood vessels in offspring of smoking parents.

Experimental research was carried out using 140 newborn rats whose parents had been "smokers." The investigation of aorta and femoral artery walls in 2-month-old rats and a survey of students were added. Intrauterine endothelial dysfunction was found as a result of paternal, maternal, as well as both paternal and maternal smoking, with prevalence of vasoconstrictive effects. Abnormal intrauterine growth of capillary network was shown using an example of renal glomerular capillaries. Immunohistochemical reaction to von Willebrand factor allowed finding various stages of endothelium decreased tolerance to damaging factors. Advanced investigation of morphofunctional changes in major arteries in offspring of smoking parents in the experiment on rats with the use of biochemical and morphological methods was performed. Intrauterine thickening of aortic wall and an increase in rigidity of walls of aorta and femoral artery as a result of a higher collagen/elastin ratio in the wall's tissue were found. Biochemical investigation of tissue samples from aorta and femoral artery walls of 2-month-old offspring of "smokers" and a survey of students from one of the local Kharkiv universities confirmed that features of the vascular system formed during the intrauterine period due to parental smoking were preserved during further ontogenesis and led to more frequent complaints of headache, weakness, low working capacity, or development of vessel-associated diseases, even in youth.