Chronic Nicotine Blunts Hypoxic Sensitivity in Perinatal Rat Adrenal Chromaffin Cells via Upregulation of KATP Channels: Role of α7 Nicotinic Acetylcholine Receptor and Hypoxia-Inducible Factor-2α

Fetal nicotine exposure blunts hypoxia-induced catecholamine secretion from neonatal adrenomedullary chromaffin cells (AMCs), providing a link between maternal smoking, abnormal arousal responses, and risk of sudden infant death syndrome. Here, we show that the mechanism is attributable to upregulation of K(ATP) channels via stimulation of alpha7 nicotinic ACh receptors (AChRs). These K(ATP) channels open during hypoxia, thereby suppressing …