Effect of gestational nicotine treatment on newborn rat retina: a histopathological and morphometric analysis

Background: Smoking is a significant risk factor in several debilitating and fatal diseases. It has been implicated in bilateral tobacco-toxic and Leber's hereditary optic neuropathies. Although it has been demonstrated that smoking has a cumulative effect on retinal and optic nerve functions and causes diffuse and localised retinal sensitivity decrease in healthy chronic heavy smokers, the affected retinal layer has not been identified and there is no experimental study investigating the effect of nicotine exposure during gestation on the newborn rat retina