Journal article
Prolonged, physiologically relevant nicotine concentrations in the airways of smokers
American journal of physiology. Lung cellular and molecular physiology, Vol.324(1), pp.L32-L37
01/01/2023
DOI: 10.1152/ajplung.00038.2022
PMCID: PMC9829458
PMID: 36342131
Abstract
Nicotine from cigarette smoke is a biologically active molecule that has pleiotropic effects in the airway, which could play a role in smoking-induced lung disease. However, whether nicotine and its metabolites reach sustained, physiologically relevant concentrations on airway surfaces of smokers is not well defined. To address these issues, concentrations of nicotine, cotinine, and hydroxycotinine were measured by mass spectrometry (MS) in supernatants of induced sputum obtained from participants in the subpopulations and intermediate outcome measures in COPD study (SPIROMICS), an ongoing observational study that included never smokers, former smokers, and current smokers with and without chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). A total of 980 sputum supernatants were analyzed from 77 healthy never smokers, 494 former smokers (233 with COPD), and 396 active smokers (151 with COPD). Sputum nicotine, cotinine, and hydroxycotinine concentrations corresponded to self-reported smoking status and were strongly correlated to urine measures. A cutoff of ∼8-10 ng/mL of sputum cotinine distinguished never smokers from active smokers. Accounting for sample dilution during processing, active smokers had airway nicotine concentrations in the 70-850 ng/mL (∼0.5-5 µM) range, and concentrations remained elevated even in current smokers who had not smoked within 24 h. This study demonstrates that airway nicotine and its metabolites are readily measured in sputum supernatants and can serve as biological markers of smoke exposure. In current smokers, nicotine is present at physiologically relevant concentrations for prolonged periods, supporting a contribution to cigarette-induced airway disease.
Details
- Title: Subtitle
- Prolonged, physiologically relevant nicotine concentrations in the airways of smokers
- Creators
- Charles R Esther Jr - University of North Carolina at Chapel HillWanda K O'Neal - University of North Carolina at Chapel HillNeil E Alexis - University of North Carolina at Chapel HillAbigail L Koch - Johns Hopkins UniversityChristopher B Cooper - University of California, Los AngelesIgor Barjaktarevic - University of California, Los AngelesLaura M Raffield - University of North Carolina at Chapel HillRussel P Bowler - National Jewish HealthAlejandro P Comellas - University of IowaStephen P Peters - Wake Forest UniversityAnnette T Hastie - Wake Forest UniversityJeffrey L Curtis - University of Michigan–Ann ArborBonnie Ronish - University of WashingtonVictor E Ortega - Mayo Clinic in ArizonaJ Michael Wells - University of Alabama at BirminghamEitan Halper-Stromberg - Johns Hopkins UniversityStephen I Rennard - University of Alabama at BirminghamRichard C Boucher - University of North Carolina at Chapel HillSPIROMICS
- Resource Type
- Journal article
- Publication Details
- American journal of physiology. Lung cellular and molecular physiology, Vol.324(1), pp.L32-L37
- DOI
- 10.1152/ajplung.00038.2022
- PMID
- 36342131
- PMCID
- PMC9829458
- ISSN
- 1040-0605
- eISSN
- 1522-1504
- Grant note
- UH3 HL123645 / NHLBI NIH HHS P50 HL107168 / NHLBI NIH HHS P30 ES10126 / HHS | NIH | National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences (NIEHS) P30 ES005605 / NIEHS NIH HHS P01 HL110873 / NHLBI NIH HHS P01 HL108808 / NHLBI NIH HHS R01 HL136961-01 / HHS | NIH | National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute (NHLBI) R01 HL136961 / NHLBI NIH HHS P30 DK065988 / NIDDK NIH HHS
- Language
- English
- Date published
- 01/01/2023
- Academic Unit
- Pulmonary, Critical Care, and Occupational Medicine; ICTS; Internal Medicine
- Record Identifier
- 9984360042902771
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