Smoking a Single Cigarette Rapidly Reduces Combined Concentrations of Nitrate and Nitrite and Concentrations of Antioxidants in Plasma

Abstract

Background-Cigarette smoking is a well-known risk factor for the development of cardiovascular disease, yet the mechanism of action involved is not completely understood. Because cigarette smoke contains superoxide and other reactive oxygen species, it has been hypothesized that some of the adverse effects of smoking may result from oxidative damage to endothelial cells, which results in nitric oxide (NO) shortage. However, little information is available regarding the acute effects of smoking on plasma concentrations of NO and antioxidants. We measured the changes in the combined plasma concentrations of nitrate and nitrite as an index of NO concentration, as well as changes in concentrations of major serum antioxidants (ascorbic acid, cysteine, methionine, and uric acid) in smokers after smoking a single cigarette. Methods and Results-A randomized crossover study of the effects of smoking a single cigarette was performed in 20 smokers. Smoking a sham cigarette induced no significant changes in all assayed parameters. However, smoking a single cigarette significantly decreased nitrate and nitrite plasma concentrations by 3.5Ϯ1.2 and 3.4Ϯ1.1 mol/L, compared with plasma concentrations at presmoking and sham smoking, respectively. The concentrations of ascorbic acid and other antioxidants were also significantly lower after smoking a single cigarette. These parameters returned to preexperimental levels 60 minutes after smoking cessation. Conclusion-The present findings indicate that smoking a single cigarette temporarily decreases nitrate, nitrite, and serum antioxidant concentrations in the plasma. These transient changes may partially contribute to coronary vasoconstriction, which is routinely observed after smoking.

Nicotine Exposure, Mimicked Smoking, Directly and Indirectly Enhanced Protein Kinase C Activity in Isolated Canine Basilar Artery, Resulting in Enhancement of Arterial Contraction

“…These results show that nicotine causes endothelial dysfunction, resulting in the attenuation of endothelium-dependent vasodilatation. This is consistent with our pre-noted data about endotheliumdependent vasodilatation and previous papers (Tsuchiya et al, 2002;Miller et al, 2000).…”

Improvement in blood pressure after short-term inorganic nitrate supplementation is attenuated in cigarette smokers compared to non-smoking controls

“…Therefore, further research is required to resolve the mechanisms than underlie the similar increase in salivary [NO 2 -] [58]. However, since our participants were asked to abstain from smoking for 3 hours prior to reporting to the laboratory, and since the expired [CO] was not different in the smokers across the experimental conditions, it is unlikely that the blunted increases in plasma [NO 3 -] and [NO 2 -] after NIT in the smokers can be ascribed to the acute effects of smoking.…”

“…Similarly, since we instructed smokers to abstain from cigarette smoking for 3 hours prior to reporting to the laboratory, the potential for NO 3 -supplementation to offset the transient increase in blood pressure [80] and lowering of plasma [NO 2 -] [58] was not explored in this study and could represent a positive effect of dietary NO 3 -supplementation in cigarette smokers. It is also important to stress that, although the findings of this study suggest that cigarette smokers might not improve blood pressure if they increase dietary NO 3 -intake, increased NO 3 --rich vegetable consumption will provide other nutrients that can benefit human health [2,3].…”

Analysis of Salivary Antioxidant Levels in Different Clinical Staging and Histological Grading of Oral Squamous Cell Carcinoma: Noninvasive Technique in Dentistry

“…In the present study the levels of UA in saliva of patients with squamous cell carcinoma was significantly less than healthy control group (p<.005). Salivary UA accounts for approximately 70% of the total salivary antioxidant capacity [16].Tsuchiya et al, also presented that UA concentration drastically goes down even with the single consumption of cigarette [17]. The Maria Greabu et al, study showed that exposure to the gas phase of cigarette smokers (CS) caused a statistically significant fall down in salivary uric acid (p < 0.05) [18].…”