Elevated endothelin-1 levels after cigarette smoking.
The effect of short-term nicotine consumption on endothelin-1 (ET-1) levels was studied in 10 male healthy smokers. Volunteers smoked in random order on 3 separate days a low-tar cigarette or a high-tar cigarette, or were studied without having smoked (no-cigarette experiment). ET-1, corticotropin, and cortisol levels, heart rate, and blood pressure were determined before and 1, 3, 5, 10, 20, and 30 minutes after smoking. In contrast to results obtained after smoking a low-tar cigarette or not smoking, smoking a high-tar cigarette resulted in a significant increase in ET-1 levels within 10 minutes, followed by an increase in corticotropin levels within 20 minutes after smoking. Thirty minutes after smoking, cortisol levels were higher after a high-tar cigarette compared with a low-tar cigarette or no smoking. Increases in heart rate and systolic blood pressure were likewise higher after smoking a high-tar cigarette than after smoking a low-tar cigarette. In conclusion, it is tempting to speculate that ET-1 may indeed act as the long-searched-for link between vasopressin and corticotropin-releasing hormone (CRH) and thus play an essential role in the stimulation of the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis. In addition, these results suggest that the increase in the level of ET-1, a powerful vasoconstrictor and mitogen, may play an important part in the disease mechanisms of atherosclerosis arising from smoking.
Haak
T
T
Department of Endocrinology, Johann Wolfgang Goethe-University, Frankfurt am Main, Germany.
Jungmann
E
E
Raab
C
C
Usadel
K H
KH
D000324:Adrenocorticotropic Hormone / Q000097:blood; D000328:Adult; D001161:Arteriosclerosis / Q000209:etiology / Q000503:physiopathology; D001794:Blood Pressure / Q000502:physiology; D004305:Dose-Response Relationship, Drug; D016232:Endothelins / Q000097:blood* / Q000502:physiology; D006339:Heart Rate / Q000502:physiology; D006801:Humans; D006854:Hydrocortisone / Q000097:blood; D008297:Male; D009538:Nicotine / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000494:pharmacology; D011863:Radioimmunoassay; D012907:Smoking / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000097:blood*; D013997:Time Factors
D016232:Endothelins; D009538:Nicotine; D000324:Adrenocorticotropic Hormone; D006854:Hydrocortisone