| Plasma Levels and Redox Status of Ascorbic Acid and Levels of Lipid Peroxidation Products in Active and Passive Smokers Makoto Ayaori,1 Tetsuya Hisada,1 Michio Suzukawa,1 Hiroshi Yoshida,1 Masato Nishiwaki,1 Toshimitsu Ito,1 Kei Nakajima,1 Kenji Higashi,1 Atsushi Yonemura,1 Toshitsugu Ishikawa,1 Fumitaka Ohsuzu,1 and Haruo Nakamura2 1First Department of Internal Medicine, National Defense Medical College, Saitama, Japan
2Mitsukoshi Health and Welfare Foundation, Shinjuku, Tokyo, Japan Abstract
Both active and passive smoking are regarded as risk factors for various diseases. To clarify the effects of active and passive smoking on plasma vitamin C levels and lipid peroxidation status, we examined the plasma levels of ascorbic acid (AA) , its redox status [ratio of dehydroascorbate (DHAA) to total AA], the levels of thiobarbiturate reactive substance (TBARS) , and the levels of lipid peroxides (LPO) in smokers, nonsmokers, and nonsmokers regularly exposed to environmental cigarette smoke (passive smokers) . The study population consisted of 149 healthy males: 75 active smokers (consumption of > 15 cigarettes/day for more than 5 years) , 36 passive smokers (more than 10 hr/week exposure to environmental cigarette smoke) , and 38 nonsmokers (no cigarette smoke exposure) . There were no significant differences in plasma TBARS and LPO levels among the three groups. Plasma levels of AA, the reduced form of vitamin C, were significantly lower in active smokers than in the combined nonsmoking groups (7.2 ± 3.5 and 8.4 ± 3.4 µg/mL, respectively ; p < 0.05) . Although no significant differences were found in plasma DHAA levels among the three groups, the ratios of DHAA to total AA were significantly higher in active and passive smokers than nonexposed nonsmokers (11.2, 10.3, and 7.1%, respectively ; p < 0.05) . These results indicate that passive smoking, as well as direct inhalation of cigarette smoke, affects the redox status of plasma AA. In passive smokers, the altered redox status of plasma AA suggests an oxidative stress. Key words: ascorbic acid, environmental tobacco smoke, lipid peroxidation, passive smoking, redox status, tobacco smoke. Environ Health Perspect 108:105-108 (2000) . [Online 5 January 2000] http://ehpnet1.niehs.nih.gov/docs/2000/108p105-108ayaori/ abstract.html Address correspondence to M. Ayaori, Kagoshima University, School of Medicine, Third Department of Internal Medicine, 8-35-1 Sakuragaoka Kagoshima, Kagoshima 890-8520, Japan. Telephone: 81 99 275 5332. Fax: 81 99 265 7164. E-mail: ayaori@med5.kufm.kagoshima-u.ac.jp Received 3 May 1999 ; accepted 19 August 1999.
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