Smoking fathers, sick kids? Study finds alarming diabetes link

“When male mice consumed nicotine in their drinking water, their offspring had metabolic alterations that appear to impact the way the body metabolizes sugar,” said the study’s senior author, Raquel Chamorro-Garcia, a professor of microbiology and environmental toxicology at UC Santa Cruz. “This suggests that tobacco use in men is linked with an increased risk of their descendants developing diabetes.”

Tobacco use is a leading preventable cause of adverse health outcomes. The new study appears in the Journal of the Endocrine Society on March 12. Limiting risk factors like smoking, electronic-cigarette use, vaping, and consuming nicotine pouches could help address the diabetes epidemic—particularly among men, who consume more tobacco products than women.

An estimated 40.1 million people in the United States have diabetes, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Having diabetes puts people at risk of developing other conditions like heart disease, kidney disease, and nerve damage. Since diabetes affects more than 12% of Americans and is a chronic disease, the costs of treatment are high.

Metabolic findings in offspring

Researchers in the Chamorro-Garcia Lab monitored the offspring of male mice exposed to nicotine in their drinking water. The offspring were compared to the descendants of a control group of mice that were not exposed to nicotine. The study found female offspring of male mice exposed to nicotine had lower insulin levels and lower fasting glucose levels than the control group.

Meanwhile, the male offspring of mice exposed to nicotine had lower blood glucose levels during fasting and altered liver function compared to the control group. Although low blood glucose is generally associated with a healthy metabolic status, the fact that it was observed during fasting suggests that the liver is not able to function as it generally would to prevent glucose levels from dropping too low. These observations are associated with an early stage metabolic dysfunction: associated steatotic liver disease, which is commonly observed in obese and diabetic populations.

Implications for preconception care

“Considering the evidence that male exposure can increase the likelihood of their children developing chronic diseases, it is crucial to incorporate male health into preconception care, which tends to be overlooked when it comes to potential effects in their offspring,” Chamorro-Garcia said. “Our findings suggest fathers’ use of tobacco products may have lasting effects on their children’s health.”

The fact that the team delivered pure nicotine to the mice through drinking water implies that the adverse effects of nicotine-related products in humans may not solely be attributed to the combustion byproducts of traditional tobacco use, according to Chamorro-Garcia.

“Newer nicotine consumption approaches, such as nicotine pouches and vaping, can also contribute to adverse health outcomes,” she explained, adding that it is premature to state whether there is a straight association between a father’s use of nicotine products and offspring developing diabetes.

Future research and collaboration

Chamorro-Garcia said follow-up studies allowing the offspring to age would provide more specific information. Her co-authors on this paper were Stephanie Aguiar, Truman Natividad, Daniel Davis, and Carlos Diaz-Castillo, all at UC Santa Cruz.

“My experience working on such a rigorous project that blended different scientific approaches to assess metabolic function allowed me to hone various skills that translate beyond the scope of this project and the field,” said Aguiar, the study’s lead author and a Ph.D. student in molecular, cell, and developmental biology. “I use these research skills in my current work as an environmental scientist for the Department of Toxic Substances Control.”

The study—“Exposure of Male Mice to Nicotine Leads to Metabolic Dysfunction in their Male and Female Offspring”—received funding from the National Institutes of Health’s National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences, the UC Office of the President Tobacco-Related Disease Research Program award, and UC Santa Cruz startup funds.