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Research: ZHANG and colleagues,
Listed in Issue 51
Abstract
ZHANG and colleagues, Karolinska Institutet, Huddinge University Hospital, Huddinge, SE-141 86, Sweden write that cigarette smoking is associated with marked acute changes in microcirculation, including reduced blood flow . The authors tested the hypothesis that reduced blood flow velocity is due to the imbalance between prooxidants and antioxidants which occurs due to smoking, and that this reduced blood flow can be reduced by an antioxidant .
Background
Methodology
24 healthy subjects with varying smoking habits were recruited to this study. The effect of smoking a single cigarette upon nail-fold microcirculation was analysed using vital capillary microscopy. Blood cell flow velocity in the capillaries was evaluated prior to and 1-30 minutes following smoking.
Results
Smoking induced a marked decrease (40-50% decrease 1-5 minutes after smoking) in microcirculatory blood flow in 23 of the 24 subjects. This change was reduced by greater than 50% in the same subjects following ingestion of 2 g of vitamin C 2 hours prior to smoking . Smokers responded similarly to nonsmokers in these experiments. 1 g of vitamin C had no significant effect upon the smoking-induced changes in most of the subjects tested. Pre-treatment with aspirin had little or no effect upon response to smoking.
Conclusion
These results indicate that treatment with a single high dose of vitamin C can reduce and in some people even completely abolish the negative acute effect upon microcirculation induced by smoking a single cigarette . The effect by vitamin C is not likely to be mediated by the cyclooxygenase system.
References
Zhang J et al. A single high dose of vitamin C counteracts the acute negative effect on microcirculation induced by smoking a cigarette. Microvascular Research 58(3): 305-11. Nov 1999.
Comment
If any person had any doubts whatsoever of the vile effects caused by cigarette smoking, they can read this research update. Just smoking a single cigarette decreases the microcirculatory blood flow by 40-50%!! Imagine what a lifetime of smoking does to your circulation.
