title: Acute effects of nicotine on arterial stiffness and wave reflection in healthy young non-smokers.
abstract: 1. Recently, we have demonstrated that cigarette smoke exposure proportionally increases plasma nicotine levels and arterial wave reflection to the aorta. However, the exact contribution of nicotine to the smoke-induced enhancement of wave reflection and the potential underlying mechanisms have not been fully investigated. 2. The present study was a prospective study in 15 healthy male non-smokers. All received a placebo and a 2 mg nicotine tablet, according to a randomized double-blind cross-over study design. Each subject underwent repeated measurements at baseline and for 1 h after nicotine or placebo intake, using carotid-femoral pulse wave velocity (PWV) to assess arterial compliance. Concurrently, aortic pressures and the augmentation index were evaluated using applanation tonometry. 3. Plasma nicotine concentrations achieved 1 h after intake of the nicotine tablet reached comparable levels to those achieved after 1 h exposure to passive smoke (3.6 +/- 0.4 vs 3.2 +/- 0.4 ng/mL, respectively; P = 0.4). 4. Nicotine enhanced arterial wave reflection to the aorta, as assessed by the augmentation index corrected for heart rate (4.2 +/- 1.3 vs-0.7 +/- 0.8% with placebo; P = 0.001). In addition, a progressive increase in carotid-femoral PWV was noted after nicotine administration (0.3 +/- 0.1 vs-0.02 +/- 0.1 m/s with placebo; P = 0.04). This remained significant even after adjustment for changes in mean blood pressure and heart rate (P = 0.01). 5. Plasma nicotine concentrations comparable to those achieved after exposure to passive smoke enhance arterial wave reflection to the aorta. This is accompanied by an increase in carotid-femoral PWV, denoting a deterioration of arterial compliance by nicotine.
authors.affiliation: Department of Cardiology, Erasme Hospital, Brussels, Belgium. adamopoulos1@gmail.com
authors.forename: Dionysios
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Adamopoulos
authors.forename: Jean-François
authors.initials: JF
authors.lastname: Argacha
authors.forename: Marko
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Gujic
authors.forename: Nicolas
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Preumont
authors.forename: Jean-Paul
authors.initials: JP
authors.lastname: Degaute
authors.forename: Philippe
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: van de Borne
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001011:Aorta / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000503:physiopathology; D001794:Blood Pressure / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology; D002339:Carotid Arteries / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000503:physiopathology; D018592:Cross-Over Studies; D004311:Double-Blind Method; D004548:Elasticity; D005263:Femoral Artery / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000503:physiopathology; D006339:Heart Rate / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology; D006439:Hemodynamics / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000502:physiology; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D009538:Nicotine / Q000009:adverse effects* / Q000097:blood; D011446:Prospective Studies; D014028:Tobacco Smoke Pollution / Q000009:adverse effects; D055815:Young Adult
chemical_list: D014028:Tobacco Smoke Pollution; D009538:Nicotine