Web address:
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/01/
110116144452.htm
Smoking Causes Genetic Damage Within Minutes After Inhaling
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Cigarette smoke begins to cause genetic damage within minutes -- not years --
after inhalation into the lungs, new research shows. (Credit:
iStockphoto/Markus Divis)
ScienceDaily (Jan. 15, 2011) In research described as "a stark warning" to
those tempted to start smoking, scientists are reporting that cigarette smoke
begins to cause genetic damage within minutes -- not years -- after inhalation
into the lungs.
Their report, the first human study to detail the way certain substances in
tobacco cause DNA damage linked to cancer, appears in Chemical Research in
Toxicology, one of 38 peer-reviewed scientific journals published by the
American Chemical Society.
Stephen S. Hecht, Ph.D., and colleagues point out in the report that lung
cancer claims a global toll of 3,000 lives each day, largely as a result of
cigarette smoking. Smoking also is linked to at least 18 other types of cancer.
Evidence indicates that harmful substances in tobacco smoke termed polycyclic
aromatic hydrocarbons, or PAHs, are one of the culprits in causing lung cancer.
Until now, however, scientists had not detailed the specific way in which the
PAHs in cigarette smoke cause DNA damage in humans.
The scientists added a labeled PAH, phenanthrene, to cigarettes and tracked its
fate in 12 volunteers who smoked the cigarettes. They found that phenanthrene
quickly forms a toxic substance in the blood known to trash DNA, causing
mutations that can cause cancer. The smokers developed maximum levels of the
substance in a time frame that surprised even the researchers: Just 15-30
minutes after the volunteers finished smoking. Researchers said the effect is
so fast that it's equivalent to injecting the substance directly into the
bloodstream.
"This study is unique," writes Hecht, an internationally recognized expert on
cancer-causing substances found in cigarette smoke and smokeless tobacco. "It
is the first to investigate human metabolism of a PAH specifically delivered by
inhalation in cigarette smoke, without interference by other sources of
exposure such as air pollution or the diet. The results reported here should
serve as a stark warning to those who are considering starting to smoke
cigarettes," the article notes.
The authors acknowledged funding from the National Cancer Institute.
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Story Source:
The above story is reprinted (with editorial adaptations by ScienceDaily
staff) from materials provided by American Chemical Society, via EurekAlert!, a
service of AAAS.
Journal Reference:
1. Yan Zhong, Steven G. Carmella, Pramod Upadhyaya, J. Bradley Hochalter,
Diane Rauch, Andrew Oliver, Joni Jensen, Dorothy Hatsukami, Jing Wang, Cheryl
Zimmerman, Stephen S. Hecht. Immediate Consequences of Cigarette Smoking: Rapid
Formation of Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbon Diol Epoxides. Chemical Research
in Toxicology, 2010; 101227010050010 DOI: 10.1021/tx100345x
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American Chemical Society (2011, January 15). Smoking causes genetic damage
within minutes after inhaling. ScienceDaily. Retrieved January 17, 2011, from
http://www.sciencedaily.com /releases/2011/01/110116144452.htm
Note: If no author is given, the source is cited instead.
Disclaimer: This article is not intended to provide medical advice, diagnosis
or treatment. Views expressed here do not necessarily reflect those of
ScienceDaily or its staff.
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