Acute and chronic effects of cigarette smoking on exhaled nitric oxide.

Abstract

Cigarette smoking is associated with an increased risk of respiratory tract infections, chronic airway disease, and cardiovascular diseases, all of which may be modulated by endogenous nitric oxide (NO). We have investigated whether cigarette smoking reduces the production of endogenous NO. We compared exhalations of 41 current cigarette smokers with normal lung function and 73 age-matched non-smoking controls. Peak exhaled NO levels were measured by a modified chemiluminescence analyzer. The effects of inhaling a single cigarette in smokers were also measured. In control subjects we also measured the effects of inhalation of NO itself and carbon monoxide, both constituents of tobacco smoke. Peak exhaled NO concentrations were significantly reduced in smokers (42 +/- 3.9 compared with 88 +/- 2.7 parts per billion in nonsmokers, p < 0.01), with a significant relation between the exhaled NO and cigarette consumption (r = 0.77, p < 0.001). Smoking a single cigarette also significantly (p < 0.02), but transiently, reduced exhaled NO. Inhalation of carbon monoxide and NO had no effect on exhaled NO in normal subjects. Cigarette smoking decreased exhaled NO, suggesting that it may inhibit the enzyme NO synthase. Since endogenous NO is important in defending the respiratory tract against infection, in counteracting bronchoconstriction and vasoconstriction, and in inhibiting platelet aggregation, this effect may contribute to the increased risks of chronic respiratory and cardiovascular disease in cigarette smokers.

Smoking is associated with an age-related decline in exhaled nitric oxide

“…Consistent with prior studies [1][2][3][4][5][6][7][8], it was found that FeNO levels were significantly lower in smokers compared with nonsmokers (geometric mean¡SD): 13.9¡18.0 ppb versus 20.5¡21.3 ppb (p,0.0001); difference56.6 ppb (confidence interval (CI) 4.1-9.2). As shown in figure 2, there was an association of FeNO levels with serum cotinine levels in smokers; serum cotinine levels were inversely correlated with FeNO levels in smokers (r 2 50.13; p50.0003), suggesting that lower FeNO levels were associated with increased levels of tobacco smoke exposure.…”

“…However, given the significant association of cigarette smoking with lower FeNO levels [1][2][3][4][5][6][7][8], ATS questionnaire data on smoking [34] were collected and serum cotinine levels were measured [36,37] as a way to rigorously exclude smoking as a potential confounder of FeNO levels. To confirm the validity of using serum cotinine levels as a surrogate marker of cigarette smoking, cotinine levels were compared in subjects who selfreported cigarette smoking on the ATS questionnaire with subjects that did not report smoking.…”

“…Pairwise comparisons were performed with Tukey-Kramer tests and revealed significant differences between subjects with cotinine levels o25 ng?mL -1 and subjects with cotinine levels ,1 ng?mL FeNO ppb findings indicating that cigarette smoking was associated with lower FeNO levels [1][2][3][4][5][6][7][8] and that greater short-term (hours to days) exposure to inhaled tobacco smoke was associated with greater decreases in FeNO levels ( fig. 2) [1]. The current study also addressed the hypothesis that smoking was associated with age-related declines in FeNO.…”

“…FeNO levels are lower in otherwise healthy subjects who habitually smoke tobacco compared with nonsmokers [1][2][3][4][5][6][7][8], and FeNO levels decrease in nonsmokers and smokers acutely after smoking a cigarette and after passive smoke exposure [1,5,9]. There is an inverse relationship between the number of cigarettes smoked per day and FeNO levels [1].…”

COPD: Eine entzündliche Erkrankung der Atemwege?

“…auch zur Identifikation von Patienten dienen, die auf eine Steroidtherapie ansprechen [27]. Bei Patienten mit COPD, die weiterhin rauchen, muss berücksichtigt werden, dass Zigarettenrauch durch seine hohe NO-Konzentration zur Abregulation der NO-Produktion in den Atemwegen führt [29].…”