Short-term systemic effects of nose-only cigarette smoke exposure in mice: role of oxidative stress.
OBJECTIVE
Long-term cigarette smoking (CS) is a major risk factor for respiratory and cardiovascular diseases, and is also known to adversely affect other organs. However, data on the systemic effects of short-term CS exposure (STCSE) are scarce. Presently, using a nose-only exposure system, we evaluated the systemic effects of STCSE in mice.


METHODS
We assessed the effects of CS generated by 9 consecutive cigarettes per day for 4 days in a nose-only exposure system on cardiovascular, hepatic and renal endpoints evaluated on day 5 in mice. Control mice were exposed to air only.


RESULTS
CS significantly increased systolic blood pressure and decreased total nitric oxide plasma concentration. Circulating platelets and erythrocyte numbers were also increased. However, STCSE did not significantly increase thrombosis in pial arterioles and venules. STCSE significantly raised plasma alanine aminotransferase and gamma glutamyl transpeptidase activities, but did not affect urea or creatinine concentrations. Interestingly, while STCSE enhanced the production of reactive oxygen species in heart and kidney and lipid peroxidation in heart, liver and kidneys, it also enhanced the antioxidant activity of superoxide dismutase, probably indicating that STCSE causes adaptive reactions to counterbalance the potentially damaging action of oxygen radicals induced by STCSE.


CONCLUSIONS
These results suggest that STCSE causes blood pressure increase, hepatotoxicity and oxidative stress in the heart, liver and the kidneys. These data provide information on the initial steps leading to the systemic effects of STCSE, a stage at which the diseases may likely be reversed.
Department of Physiology, College of Medicine and Health Sciences, United Arab Emirates University, Al Ain, UAE. anemmar@uaeu.ac.ae
Abderrahim
A
Nemmar
Haider
H
Raza
Deepa
D
Subramaniyan
Javed
J
Yasin
Annie
A
John
Badreldin H
BH
Ali
Elsadig E
EE
Kazzam
D000410:Alanine Transaminase / Q000097:blood; D000818:Animals; D001792:Blood Platelets / Q000166:cytology; D001794:Blood Pressure / Q000502:physiology; D003404:Creatinine / Q000097:blood; D004195:Disease Models, Animal; D004906:Erythrocyte Count; D004912:Erythrocytes / Q000166:cytology; D007668:Kidney / Q000201:enzymology / Q000378:metabolism; D015227:Lipid Peroxidation; D008099:Liver / Q000201:enzymology / Q000378:metabolism; D051379:Mice; D008807:Mice, Inbred BALB C; D009206:Myocardium / Q000201:enzymology / Q000378:metabolism; D009297:Nasal Mucosa / Q000378:metabolism; D009569:Nitric Oxide / Q000097:blood; D018384:Oxidative Stress / Q000502:physiology*; D010976:Platelet Count; D017382:Reactive Oxygen Species / Q000378:metabolism; D012907:Smoking; D013482:Superoxide Dismutase / Q000378:metabolism; D013927:Thrombosis / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology; D014508:Urea / Q000097:blood; D005723:gamma-Glutamyltransferase / Q000097:blood
D017382:Reactive Oxygen Species; D009569:Nitric Oxide; D014508:Urea; D003404:Creatinine; D013482:Superoxide Dismutase; D005723:gamma-Glutamyltransferase; D000410:Alanine Transaminase