Methods Pregnant rodent model. All studies were approved by the University of Alabama at
Birmingham Institutional Animal Care and Use Committee (20342). Pregnant Sprague
Dawley rats (10 wk old, n= 12) were exposed to mainstream cigarette smoke for 10 days
before fertilization and throughout their 21-to 23-day gestation using a whole-body exposure
chamber and smoking apparatus (InExpose, SCIREQ). Smoke exposure was applied 4
hours daily, 5 days a week, with an average of 800 mg/L particulate matter per day. Air …

RATIONALE: The cystic fibrosis transmembrane conductance regulator (CFTR) is crucial for
proper airway, pancreatic, and reproductive tract function by regulating epithelial chloride
and bicarbonate secretion. Even without genetic CFTR mutations, CFTR dysfunction is
demonstrable in smoking-related illnesses like chronic obstructive pulmonary disease
(COPD) by a process termed “acquired CFTR dysfunction.” Passive smoke exposure by
infants causes respiratory dysfunction and increased infection risk that can persist into …