Acute effects of smoking of cigarettes with different tar content on plasma oxidant/antioxidant status

In this study acute effects of two different types of cigarette smoking on plasma oxidant/antioxidant status were investigated. For this purpose, malo ndialdehyde (MDA) levels and antioxidant potential (AOP) values were measur ed in the plasma samples before and after cigarette smoking at lasting. Aft er the first blood sample was obtained, second and third samples were withd rawn at 1.5 h and 3 h. In the first group, subjects smoked five cigarettes with full flavor (FF), and in the second group, Eve cigarettes with full-fl avor low tar (FFLT). Quality classification is made mainly on the basis of tar conte,ll of the products. The cigarette with 23 mg tar is defined as FF and that with 12 mg tar as FTLT. MDA level was found to be significantly i ncreased in the 1.5-h plasma samples of both groups, but the increase was g reater in the FF group. AOP values, however, were found to be lower in the 3-h plasma samples of both groups, but the decrease was greater in the TT g roup compared with the FFLT group. It appears that acute smoking causes oxi dant stress in blood plasma once exposed to smoke, and then this effect (MD A) begins to decrease. On the other hand, AOP is lowered due to oxidant str ess created by smoke. With regard to the types of cigarettes, the FF produc t seems to be more oxidant than the FTLT product. Our results suggest that antioxidant supplementation might be beneficial for the smokers to cope wit h the oxidant load derived from cigarette smoke, it is also clearly seen fr om these results that cigarette manufacturers should reduce tar/nicotine ra tio in their products in order to lessen the toxic effects of smoking witho ut causing increased need to smoke.