 |
|
Endotoxins in cigarette smoke
August 19, 2004A room where people smoke contains dozens or hundreds of times higher air concentrations of endotoxins than smoke-free indoor air. This has been shown by a research team from Lund University. Endotoxin is the name of a group of poisonous substances produced by bacteria and naturally occurring in the air and elsewhere. In normal low concentrations, endotoxins are not dangerous; indeed, they might play a role in protecting us against allergies. But at higher levels of concentration they induce serious inflammatory reactions in the respiratory tract.
Endotoxins have long been known for their powerful capacity to cause inflammations. Dust rich in endotoxins constitutes a health risk in many workplaces and is seen as a key explanation for the high incidence of chronic bronchitis among farmers. Endotoxins from construction materials, dust, plants, etc. in the home can also contribute to asthma. On the other hand, it had not been clearly shown previously that cigarette smoke contains true endotoxins, i.e. bacterial lipopolysaccharides.
In its experiments, the Lund team, headed by Associate Professor Lennart Larsson, has tried to simulate both passive and active smoking. For the latter, they set up equipment that "smoked" a cigarette in 8-10 minutes and captured the contents of the smoke in a filter. For passive smoking, they "smoked" one cigarette every half hour in an unventilated room for seven hours and compared it with a similar room without smoke. The results, presented in the international journal Indoor Air, show that the level of the toxic substances in the air of the smoky room was a full 120 times higher than in a smoke-free room. Moreover, the tobacco endotoxin seemed to be the most aggressive sort among the various forms that exist.
The key to the finding is a unique method of chemical analysis that the Lund scientists have developed over many years to identify endotoxins in clinical trials and environmental tests. Using this method, they have verified the results presented a few years ago by the American scientist Jeffrey Hasday indicating that there may be endotoxins in cigarette smoke.
"This can be one reason why smokers so often suffer from respiratory ailments. The fact that passive smoking entails exposure to extremely high concentrations of endotoxins is an entirely new breakthrough" says Lennart Larsson, who hopes the new knowledge will be of use in anti-smoking campaigns.
The Lund team now wants to move on to see whether endotoxins from tobacco smoke can fasten onto particles of dust, thereby lingering in an environment where someone once smoked. They also aim to study how ventilation influences the levels of endotoxins from cigarette smoke in indoor air.
Vetenskapsrådet (The Swedish Research Council)
Smoking Current Events and Smoking News RSSDeaths from lung cancer could be reduced by better policies to control indoor radon
About 1100 people each year die in the UK from lung cancer related to indoor radon, but current government protection policies focus mainly on the small number of homes with high radon levels and neglect the 95% of radon related deaths caused by lower levels of radon, according to a study published on bmj.com today.
Jupiter-like Planets Could Form Around Twin Suns
Life on a planet ruled by two suns might be a little complicated. Two sunrises, two sunsets. Twice the radiation field.
New findings shed light on why smokers struggle to quit
Just seeing someone smoke can trigger smokers to abandon their nascent efforts to kick the habit, according to new research conducted at Duke University Medical Center.
Nicotine gum effective for gradual smoking reduction and cessation
Nicotine gum has been in use for over 20 years to help smokers quit abruptly yet close to two-thirds of smokers report that they would prefer to quit gradually.
Smoking during pregnancy fosters aggression in children
Women who smoke during pregnancy risk delivering aggressive kids according to a new Canada-Netherlands study published in the journal Development and Psychopathology. While previous studies have shown that smoking during gestation causes low birth weight, this research shows mothers who light up during pregnancy can predispose their offspring to an additional risk: violent behaviour.
In lung cancer, silencing one crucial gene disrupts normal functioning of genome
While examining patterns of DNA modification in lung cancer, a team of international researchers has discovered what they say is a surprising new mechanism.
Lung cancer cells activate inflammation to induce metastasis
A research team from the University of California, San Diego School of Medicine has identified a protein produced by cancerous lung epithelial cells that enhances metastasis by stimulating the activity of inflammatory cells.
Smokers with stroke in the family 6 times more likely to have stroke too
A new study shows that people who are smokers and have a family history of brain aneurysm appear to be significantly more likely to suffer a stroke from a brain aneurysm themselves.
Antioxidants offer pain relief in patients with chronic pancreatitis
Antioxidant supplementation was found to be effective in relieving pain and reducing levels of oxidative stress in patients with chronic pancreatitis (CP), reports a new study in Gastroenterology.
Third-hand smoke: Another reason to quit smoking
Need another reason to add "Quit Smoking" to your New Year's resolutions list? How about the fact that even if you choose to smoke outside of your home or only smoke in your home when your children are not there - thinking that you're keeping them away from second-hand smoke - you're still exposing them to toxins?
More Smoking Current Events and Smoking News Articles
 | The Easy Way to Stop Smoking: Join the Millions Who Have Become Non-Smokers Using Allen Carr's Easyway Method by Allen Carr A new edition of the revolutionary bestseller, with four million copies in print. Allen Carr’s innovative Easyway method—which he discovered after his own 100-cigarette-a-day habit nearly drove him to despair—has helped millions kick smoking without feeling anxious and deprived. That’s because he helps smokers discover the psychological reasons behind their dependency, explains in detail... |
 | Meat Smoking and Smokehouse Design by Stanley Marianski, Adam Marianski, Robert Marianski Most books on the subject of smoking include a drawing or two, a few pages on generating smoke, and the rest of the pages are filled with recipes. While those recipes usually get the spotlight, the technical know-how behind preparing and smoking meats is far more important. When writing about cold or hot smoke the authors don't end on just giving the temperature range for a particular method.... |
 | Charcuterie: The Craft of Salting, Smoking, and Curing by Michael Ruhlman, Brian Polcyn The only book for home cooks offering a complete introduction to the craft.Charcuterie—a culinary specialty that originally referred to the creation of pork products such as salami, sausages, and prosciutto—is true food craftsmanship, the art of turning preserved food into items of beauty and taste. Today the term encompasses a vast range of preparations, most of which involve salting,... |
 | Thank You for Smoking: A Novel by Christopher Buckley Nobody blows smoke like Nick Naylor. He’s a spokesman for the Academy of Tobacco Studies–in other words, a flack for cigarette companies, paid to promote their product on talk and news shows. The problem? He’s so good at his job, so effortlessly unethical, that he’s become a target for both anti-tobacco terrorists and for the FBI. In a country where half the people want to outlaw pleasure... |
 | Mastering the Craft of Smoking Food by Warren R. Anderson Here is an exceptionally complete guide to making real smoked food at home that tastes far better than commercially made... |
 | Easy Way to Stop Smoking (Book & Cds) by Allen Carr |
 | A Guide to Canning, Freezing, Curing & Smoking Meat, Fish & Game by Wilbur F. Eastman This no-nonsense guide to canning, freezing, curing, and smoking meat, fish, and game is written in down-to-earth, informative, everyday language. The third edition of this perennial bestseller is completely revised and updated to comply with the latest USDA health and safety guidelines. Includes dozens of delicious recipes for homemade Beef Jerky, Pemmican, Venison Mincemeat, Corned Beef,... |
 | How To Quit Smoking Even If You Don't Want To by Barbara Miller People often say, "I am not ready to quit smoking." This book gives you a step by step plan that will show you how to get ready to quit. Quitting smoking is like going into battle. With this plan in place you will be ready to win! You will learn how to develop your will power and tap into an incredible source of "Self-Power." This plan shows you exactly what to do. It is textbook format... |
 | Stop Smoking in One Hour: Play the CD... Just Once... and Never Smoke Again! by Susan Hepburn Everyday, an estimated one thousand Americans die from the effects of smoking. There are 45 to 50 million nicotine addicts in the United States, and most would like to quit. If you are one of them, this book is your... |
 | Smoking Food: A Beginner's Guide by Chris Dubbs, Dave Heberle Everything you need to know about home smoking.In Smoking Food, Chris Dubbs and Dave Heberle assure us that smoking is an art, not a science, and they fearlessly reveal that art's essentials—and how simple they can be. They explain how to choose the best fuels (you can use corncobs!), how to build smokers from old refrigerators and cardboard boxes, and, of course, how to smoke everything from... |
| © 2009 BrightSurf.com |