The effects of tobacco smoke on plasma alpha- and gamma-tocopherol levels in passive and active cigarette smokers

• Published in: Toxicology letters Vol. 151; no. 3; pp. 429 - 437
• Main Authors: Sobczak, Andrzej, Gołka, Dariusz, Szołtysek-Bołdys, Izabela
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Shannon Elsevier Ireland Ltd 01-08-2004; Amsterdam Elsevier Science
• Subjects: Adult; Alpha-tocopherol; alpha-Tocopherol - blood; Biological and medical sciences; Cigarette smoking; Cotinine; Cotinine - urine; Female; Gamma-tocopherol; gamma-Tocopherol - blood; Humans; Male; Medical sciences; Middle Aged; Neuropharmacology; Nicotiana; Pharmacology. Drug treatments; Psychoanaleptics: cns stimulant, antidepressant agent, nootropic agent, mood stabilizer..., (alzheimer disease); Psychology. Psychoanalysis. Psychiatry; Psychopharmacology; Smoke - adverse effects; Smoking - blood; Tobacco Smoke Pollution - adverse effects; Tobacco, tobacco smoking; Toxicology; Gamma-tocopherol; Alpha-tocopherol; Cigarette smoking; Cotinine; Human; Biological fluid; Tobacco smoke; CNS stimulant; Psychotropic; E-Vitamins; Blood; Blood plasma; Cigarette; Tobacco; Smoker; Antidepressant agent; Tocopherol
• ISSN: 0378-4274; 1879-3169
• DOI: 10.1016/j.toxlet.2004.03.010

Tobacco smoke is one of the causes of oxidative stress that is leading to attenuation of the antioxidative body protective barrier by means of decreasing the levels of intra- and extracellular antioxidants. The effect of tobacco smoke on plasma levels of two main forms of Vitamin E, α- and γ-tocopherol, in passive smokers (urinary cotinine concentration 50–500
μg/L) and active smokers (urinary cotinine concentration >500
μg/L) were studied. Slight, but statistically significant decreases in plasma α-tocopherol level in passive and active smokers in comparison with non-smokers (by 5.7% and 9.2%, respectively) were found. The plasma γ-tocopherol levels remained unchanged. The Pearson’s correlation coefficient for the plasma α-tocopherol level and the urinary cotinine concentration in passive and active smokers was −0.431,
P=0.004 and −0.534,
P<0.001, respectively, and for γ-tocopherol in similar conditions −0.190,
P=0.217 and 0.346,
P=0.027, respectively. The obtained results indicate the secondary role that α- and γ-tocopherol play in the process of tobacco smoke free radical scavenge, or they may also reflect the body increased anti-oxidative mobilization in response to oxidative stress evoked by tobacco smoke.