Effect of acute and long-term oral tobacco use on oesophageal motility.
OBJECTIVE
Nicotine administration is known to decrease lower oesophageal sphincter (LOS) pressure. Although a few studies have assessed the effect of tobacco on the LOS, the effect of acute and long-term oral tobacco use on oesophageal motility is not known. The study was designed to investigate the effect of acute and long-term oral tobacco use on LOS and distal oesophageal motility.


METHODS
Thirty-six healthy men (aged 18-65 years, median 34 years; 18 oral tobacco users, 18 non-tobacco users) underwent oesophageal manometry using a water-perfusion system. After baseline manometry, tobacco users were asked to keep 0.5 g tobacco in their mouth for 10 min; non-users of tobacco were kept in quiet surroundings for a similar period. Manometry was then repeated.


RESULTS
The LOS basal pressures were similar in tobacco users and non-tobacco users (mean +/- SD 15.4 +/- 6.3 vs 13.4 +/- 5.3 mmHg). In the distal oesophageal body, the velocity (4.4 +/- 3.1 vs 4.9 +/- 2.6 cm/s), amplitude (92.7 +/- 38.3 vs 84.8 +/- 33.2 mmHg) and duration of contraction (2.1 +/- 0.7 vs 1.7 +/- 0.9 s) were similar in tobacco users and non-users. Acute tobacco use did not affect these parameters. The numbers of abnormal waves (triple peaks and non-transmitted contractions) were also similar in the two groups.


CONCLUSIONS
Oral tobacco use does not appear to affect LOS pressures and distal oesophageal motility acutely or in the long term.
Bhandarkar
P V
PV
Department of Gastroenterology, King Edward VII Memorial Hospital, Mumbai, India.
Shah
S K
SK
Meshram
M
M
Abraham
P
P
Narayanan
T S
TS
Bhatia
S J
SJ
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D004943:Esophagogastric Junction / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology; D004947:Esophagus / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000502:physiology; D005260:Female; D005769:Gastrointestinal Motility / Q000187:drug effects*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008365:Manometry / Q000379:methods; D008875:Middle Aged; D009538:Nicotine / Q000494:pharmacology*; D010947:Plants, Toxic; D011312:Pressure; D013997:Time Factors; D014026:Nicotiana / Q000009:adverse effects*
D009538:Nicotine