title: Plasma copper and lipid peroxidation in cigarette smokers.
abstract: Plasma levels of copper and lipid peroxidation were evaluated in 14 smokers as compared to 14 nonsmokers. Plasma copper concentrations were higher in smokers than in nonsmokers (122.5 +/- 19.15 vs. 101.5 +/- 16.2 micrograms/dl, P < .01). Plasma lipoperoxidation, evaluated as fluorescent damage products of lipid peroxidation (FDPL), also was higher in smokers than in nonsmokers (20.35 +/- 2.6 vs. 17.1 +/- 2.95 units of relative fluorescence/ml, P < .01). A significant and positive correlation between the number of cigarettes smoked, expressed as pack years, and the levels of either FDPL (r = .61, P < .025) or copper (r = .55, P < .05) was found. Moreover, a significant and positive relationship between copper and FDPL values was observed in smokers (r = .64; P < .025), but not in nonsmokers. These data indicate that cigarette smoke-related plasma oxidant load may be partly due to enhanced levels of the prooxidant metal cooper, potentially suggesting the supplementation of specific antioxidants (e.g., zinc) to counteract cigarette smoke-induced oxidative stress in smokers.
authors.affiliation: Istituto di Fisiopatologia Medica, Universitá G. D'Annunzio, Facoltá di Medicina e Chirurgia, CHieti, Italy.
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Lapenna
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Mezzetti
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: de Gioia
authors.forename: S D
authors.initials: SD
authors.lastname: Pierdomenico
authors.forename: F
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Daniele
authors.forename: F
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Cuccurullo
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D003300:Copper / Q000097:blood*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D015227:Lipid Peroxidation; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D012907:Smoking / Q000097:blood*; D013050:Spectrometry, Fluorescence
chemical_list: D003300:Copper