Component Of Tobacco Research Articles

Plant growth-promoting fungi improve tobacco yield and chemical components by reassembling rhizosphere fungal microbiome and recruiting probiotic taxa

BackgroundTobacco production faces ongoing challenges due to soil degradation, leading to a persistent decline in yield. Plant growth-promoting fungi (PGPF) have been recognized as an environmentally friendly agricultural strategy. However, many commercial PGPF products exhibit instability due to insufficient environmental compatibility.ResultsIn this study, Penicillium sp. PQxj3 was isolated and assessed for its potential to enhance tobacco productivity under field conditions. The results demonstrated that Penicillium sp. PQxj3 treatment significantly promoted the tobacco growth and improved the crop yield. The height of tobacco in Penicillium sp. PQxj3 treatment group significantly increased by 50.19% and 24.05% compared with CK at exuberant and maturity period (P < 0.05). The average yield of tobacco significantly increased by 36.16% compared to CK (P < 0.05). Fungal microbiome analysis revealed that phylogenetically similar probiotic taxa were recruited by Penicillium sp. PQxj3 and reassembled tobacco rhizosphere fungal microbiome. The key chemical indicators of tobacco such as alkaloid, total sugar, and phosphorus were significantly enhanced in Penicillium sp. PQxj3 treatment. The recruited probiotic taxa (Penicillium brasilianum, Penicillium simplicissimum, Penicillium macrosclerotiorum and Penicillium senticosum) were significantly associated with alkaloid, total sugar etc. (P < 0.05), which were identified as the key drivers for improving the chemical components of tobacco. Transcriptome analysis indicated that Penicillium sp. PQxj3 promoted up-regulation of key functional genes involved in alkaloid, indoleacetic, and gibberellin biosynthesis pathways.ConclusionIn summary, this study assessed the biopromotion mechanism of PGPF Penicillium sp. PQxj3 linking chemical traits, rhizosphere fungal microbiome, and transcriptome profiling. The findings provide a fundamental basis and a sustainable solution for developing fungal fertilizers to enhance agricultural sustainability.

Effects of Phaffia rhodozyma on microbial community dynamics and tobacco quality during tobacco fermentation.

Carotenoids are important precursors of various aroma components in tobacco and play an important role in the sensory quality of tobacco. Phaffia rhodozyma is a species of Xanthophyllomyces capable of synthesizing a highly valuable carotenoid-astaxanthin, but has not yet been used in improving tobacco quality. The dynamic changes of microbial community and metabolites during tobacco fermentation were analyzed in combination with microbiome and metabolome, and the quality of tobacco after fermentation was evaluated by sensory scores. P. rhodozyma could grow and produce carotenoids in tobacco extract, with a maximum biomass of 6.50 g/L and a maximum carotenoid production of 36.13 mg/L at 100 g/L tobacco extract. Meanwhile, the correlation analysis combined with microbiome and metabolomics showed that P. rhodozyma was significantly positively correlated with 11 metabolites such as 6-hydroxyluteolin and quercetin. Furthermore, the contents of alcohols, ketones and esters, which were important aromatic components in fermented tobacco, reached 77.57 μg/g, 58.28 μg/g and 73.51 μg/g, increasing 37.39%, 265.39% and 266.27% compared to the control group, respectively. Therefore, the aroma and flavor, and taste scores of fermented tobacco increased by 0.5 and 1.0 points respectively. This study confirmed that P. rhodozyma fermentation could effectively improve the sensory evaluation of tobacco, and provided a novel microbial fermentation method to improve tobacco quality.

NIR and MIR spectral feature information fusion strategy for multivariate quantitative analysis of tobacco components

The determination of total nicotine, total sugar, reducing sugar and total nitrogen contents in tobacco is of great significance to tobacco quality evaluation and formulation design. To quickly detect the content of 4 components of tobacco, using near-infrared (NIR) and mid-infrared (MIR) spectral data from 129 solid samples of tobacco powder provided by Shanghai Tobacco Group Co., Ltd., Two NIR-MIR spectral fusion techniques are studied, that is, fusion technology 1 is to establish a model by fusing feature variables after variable selection of each spectrum. The fusion technology 2 is to first fuse the NIR-MIR spectral data and then select the variables to establish the model. Both fusion technologies use successive projections algorithm (SPA), competitive adaptive reweighted sampling (CARS), backward interval PLS (biPLS), forward interval PLS (fiPLS), synergy interval PLS (siPLS), and interval interaction moving window partial least squares (iMWPLS) algorithms to filter wavelength variables. The results showed that for total nicotine and total sugar, the PLSR model established by fusion technology method 2 combined with iMWPLS algorithm is the best, and its RMSEP decreases from 0.2314 to 1.3225 to 0.0821 and 0.8079 respectively compared with the full spectrum fusion method, which is superior to the single NIR and MIR models and NIR-MIR fusion technology 1. For reducing sugars, the simple full-spectrum fusion model has the best analytical ability and the lowest RMSEP, which is superior to the single NIR-MIR models and all models established by two spectral fusion techniques combined with six wavelength selection algorithms. For total nitrogen, the prediction effect of fusion technology 1 combined with iMWPLS algorithm model was significantly improved compared with single NIR and MIR models and NIR-MIR fusion technology 2, and its RMSEP was 0.0634. The results showed that the two NIR-MIR spectral fusion techniques made full use of the complementary information provided by NIR and MIR spectroscopy, and successfully applied them to the rapid detection of total nicotine, total sugar, reducing sugar and total nitrogen content in tobacco, which provided a new method and idea for the rapid detection of tobacco components.

Water-pipe Tobacco Components and their Association with Oxidative Stress.

Oxidative stress (OS) results from an imbalance between the formation and detoxification of reactive species. Although reactive species at low or moderate levels play numerous physiological roles, high concentrations can lead to disturbances in signaling and metabolic pathways and cause different metabolic, chronic, and age-related disorders. Several endogenous and exogenous processes may lead to the formation of reactive species. The severity of OS can be reduced with the help of antioxidants. Tobacco is one of the most important environmental factors contributing to reactive species production. After cigarette smoking, water-pipe tobacco (WPT) smoking is ranked as the second most popular tobacco product. Its popularity is proliferating due to flavored products, social acceptability, etc. However, studies have shown that WPT smoking is associated with an increased risk of arterial stiffness, ischemic heart disease, and several cancer types. In this study, we aimed to review the most recent evidence on WPT smoking constituents and their association with OS.

Effects of Exocellobiohydrolase CBHA on Fermentation of Tobacco Leaves.

The quality of tobacco is directly affected by macromolecular content, fermentation is an effective method to improve biochemical properties. In this study, we utilized CBHA (cellobiohydrolase A) glycosylase, which was expressed by Pichia pastoris, as an additive for fermentation. The contents of main chemical components of tobacco leaves after fermentation were determined, and the changes of microbial community structure and abundance in tobacco leaves during fermentation were analyzed. The relationship between chemical composition and changes in microbial composition was investigated, and the function of bacteria and fungi in fermentation was predicted to identify possible metabolic pathways. After 48 h of CBHA fermentation, the contents of starch, cellulose and total nitrogen in tobacco leaf decreased by 17.60%, 28.91% and 16.05%, respectively. The microbial community structure changed significantly, with Aspergillus abundance decreasing significantly, while Filobasidum, Cladosporium, Bullera, Komagataella, etc., increased in CBHA treated group. Soluble sugar was most affected by microbial community in tobacco leaves, which was negatively correlated with starch, cellulose and total nitrogen. During the fermentation process, the relative abundance of metabolism-related functional genes increased, and the expressions of cellulase and endopeptidase also increased. The results showed that the changes of bacterial community and dominant microbial community on tobacco leaves affected the content of chemical components in tobacco leaves, and adding CBHA for fermentation had a positive effect on improving the quality of tobacco leaves.

Analyzing the quality differences between healthy and moldy cigar tobacco leaves during the air-curing process through fungal communities and physicochemical components.

The air-curing process of cigar tobacco, as a key step in enhancing the quality of cigars, is often susceptible to contamination by mold spores, which severely constrains the quality of cigar tobacco. This study employed high-throughput Illumina sequencing technology and a continuous flow analysis system to analyze the differences between the microbial communities and physicochemical components of moldy and healthy cigar tobacco leaves. Furthermore, correlation analysis was performed to reveal the impact of mold on the quality of cigar tobacco. The differences between the microbial flora and physicochemical compositions of moldy (MC) and healthy (HC) tobacco leaves were analyzed, revealing significant disparities between the two groups. Aspergillus spp. represented the dominant mold in MC, with nine out of twelve isolated molds showing higher quantities on MC than on HC. Mold contamination notably decreased the total nitrogen (TN), total phosphorus (TP), total alkaloids (TA), starch, protein, and flavor constituents while increasing the total fatty acid esters (TFAA), which was accompanied by a shift towards weakly acidic pH in the leaves. Fungal community analysis indicated a significant reduction in the fungal operational taxonomic unit (OUT) numbers and diversity indices in MC, contrasting with the bacterial trends. Aspergillus exhibited significantly higher relative abundance in MC, with LEfSe analysis pinpointing it as the primary driver of differentiation. Furthermore, significant negative correlations were observed between Aspergillus and TP, starch, TA, and protein, while a significant positive association was evident with TFAA. Network analysis underscored the pivotal role of Aspergillus as the species influencing disparities between HC and MC, with its abundance serving as a critical determinant during the air-curing process. This study elucidated substantial quality distinctions between MC and HC during air-curing, with Aspergillus emerging as the key species contributing to leaf mold.

Research on the pyrolysis mechanism of tobacco based on low temperature torrefaction

The temperature range of 100–220 °C is known to cause the volatilization of some volatile components and the pyrolysis of some unstable components in tobacco. However, there is a lack of research on the pyrolysis mechanism of tobacco at this temperature range. To address this gap, the present study employed an innovative cascade pyrolysis method based on stepwise heating to analyze the composition of tobacco's rapid pyrolysis products within this temperature range. The analysis was conducted at intervals of 30 °C. The study summarized the release characteristics of organics at different temperatures and analyzed the representative substances of various organic families. In addition, considering that tobacco has a unique composition compared to most biomass, the same five temperature points as they do in the cascade pyrolysis process were selected to torrefy the tobacco samples. These temperatures are lower than the conventional torrefaction temperatures typically used for biomass pretreatment. Multiple techniques were used to systematically analyze the composition, functional group structure, and thermal degradation characteristics of tobacco torrefied at different temperatures. Subsequently, the effect of torrefaction temperature on the release performance of products from tobacco pyrolysis at 650 °C was also studied. The results of this study not only contribute to a more comprehensive understanding of the pyrolysis mechanism of tobacco but also provide theoretical support for cigarette processing and tobacco waste utilization.

Dissection of genetic architecture of nine hazardous component traits of mainstream smoke in tobacco (Nicotiana tabacum L.).

Tobacco (Nicotiana tabacum L.) use is the leading cause of preventable death, due to deleterious chemical components and smoke from tobacco products, and therefore reducing harmful chemical components in tobacco is one of the crucial tobacco breeding targets. However, due to complexity of tobacco smoke and unavailability of high-density genetic maps, the genetic architecture of representative hazardous smoke has not been fully dissected. The present study aimed to explore the genetic architecture of nine hazardous component traits of mainstream smoke through QTL mapping using 271 recombinant inbred lines (RILs) derived from K326 and Y3 in multiple environments. The analysis of genotype and genotype by environment interaction (GE) revealed substantially greater heritability over 95% contributed mostly by GE interaction effects. We also observed strong genetic correlations among most studied hazardous smoke traits, with the highest correlation coefficient of 0.84 between carbon monoxide and crotonaldehyde. Based on a published high-density genetic map, a total of 19 novel QTLs were detected for eight traits using a full QTL model, of which 17 QTLs showed significant additive effects, six showed significant additive-by-environment interaction effects, and one pair showed significant epistasis-by-environment interaction effect. Bioinformatics analysis of sequence in QTL region predicted six genes as candidates for four traits, of which Nt21g04598.1, Nt21g04600.1, and Nt21g04601.1 had pleiotropic effects on PHE and TAR.

Chronic, episodic nicotine exposure enhances the hypoxic ventilatory response in adult female rats

It is well known that cigarette smoking causes lung disease and damages the airways. However, we know little about the direct role of nicotine, the primary addictive component of tobacco, in the development of smoking- related diseases. Along with promoting cancer cell proliferation and airway inflammation, nicotine can modulate central respiratory control, increasing the rate and depth of breathing through mechanisms that are not well understood. In addition, cigarette smoking is associated with obstructive sleep apnea, a sleep-related breathing disorder that is marked by reduced brainstem respiratory motor output. Despite these examples indicating that chronic nicotine exposure in adulthood may alter central respiratory control, there is no published research that directly tests this hypothesis. We exposed male and female adult rats to nicotine for four weeks through their drinking water and then used whole body plethysmography to test the hypothesis that chronic, episodic nicotine exposure alters restful breathing and the hypoxic ventilatory response (HVR), a critical respiratory chemoreflex. We measured tidal volume (TV) and frequency of breathing at rest, and during a 5- minute episode of hypoxia (10% oxygen/balance nitrogen). Total ventilation (VE/VCO2) was calculated as TV X Frequency and normalized to carbon dioxide production, to account for changes in metabolism, and body weight. For both males and females, comparisons were made between groups and across trials using a 2-way ANOVA and Tukey’s post-hoc test. In male rats, nicotine exposure significantly decreased overall ventilation at rest in one of three trials (Trial 1 VE/VCO2: Nicotine exposed, 30.7±7.5 mL/min/100g, Control, 44.3±6.4 mL/min/100g, p=0.0183), but had no effect on breathing during hypoxia. In female rats, nicotine exposure had no effect on breathing at rest, however, overall ventilation during hypoxia was enhanced in nicotine exposed rats compared to controls in two of three trials (Trial 1 VE/VCO2: Nicotine exposed, 106.8±20.6 mL/min/100g, Control, 79.8±5.1 mL/min/100g, p=0.049; Trial 3 VE/VCO2: Nicotine exposed, 101.6±9.9 mL/min/100g, Control, 68.1±10.9 mL/min/100g, p=0.007). Overall, these results suggest that chronic nicotine exposure triggers plasticity in the chemoreflex pathway mediating the HVR in a sex specific manner and further studies are warranted to understand the implications of this finding. 1K99HL164973-02. This is the full abstract presented at the American Physiology Summit 2024 meeting and is only available in HTML format. There are no additional versions or additional content available for this abstract. Physiology was not involved in the peer review process.

Tobacco Smoke Condensate Induces Morphologic Changes in Human Papillomavirus-Positive Cervical Epithelial Cells Consistent with Epithelial to Mesenchymal Transition (EMT) with Activation of Receptor Tyrosine Kinases and Regulation of TGFB.

High-risk human papillomavirus (HR-HPV; HPV-16) and cigarette smoking are associated with cervical cancer (CC); however, the underlying mechanism(s) remain unclear. Additionally, the carcinogenic components of tobacco have been found in the cervical mucus of women smokers. Here, we determined the effects of cigarette smoke condensate (CSC; 3R4F) on human ectocervical cells (HPV-16 Ect/E6E7) exposed to CSC at various concentrations (10-6-100 μg/mL). We found CSC (10-3 or 10 μg/mL)-induced proliferation, enhanced migration, and histologic and electron microscopic changes consistent with EMT in ectocervical cells with a significant reduction in E-cadherin and an increase in the vimentin expression compared to controls at 72 h. There was increased phosphorylation of receptor tyrosine kinases (RTKs), including Eph receptors, FGFR, PDGFRA/B, and DDR2, with downstream Ras/MAPK/ERK1/2 activation and upregulation of common EMT-related genes, TGFB SNAI2, PDGFRB, and SMAD2. Our study demonstrated that CSC induces EMT in ectocervical cells with the upregulation of EMT-related genes, expression of protein biomarkers, and activation of RTKs that regulate TGFB expression, and other EMT-related genes. Understanding the molecular pathways and environmental factors that initiate EMT in ectocervical cells will help delineate molecular targets for intervention and define the role of EMT in the initiation and progression of cervical intraepithelial neoplasia and CC.

Mid-Infrared Light Reduces the Nicotine Content and Detoxifies Bidis for Safer Smoking

Tobacco use is dangerous to health and the environment. Despite the numerous measures taken to combat the adverse effects of tobacco, fruitful results are yet to be achieved. Nicotine is the primary psychoactive (and highly addictive) chemical component in tobacco. This study aimed to lower the nicotine content and detoxify bidis (a more harmful tobacco product compared to cigarettes). We subjected the bidi packets to 2–6 µm mid-infrared (midIR) light generated by a specially designed pocket-sized atomizer. The smoke from such mid-IR-treated bidis blown over animate and inanimate objects was non-irritating and harmless. Spectroscopic studies revealed that the applied 2–6 µm mid-IR exerted molecular-level changes and resulted in chemical compound transformations, thus lowering the nicotine content in the bidis. Trials with smokers demonstrated that the mid-IR-treated bidis were more desirable to smoke and also retained smoking pleasure and satiety. Thus, the 2–6 µm mid-IR light can detoxify the bidis and represents a safer way for smoking than attempting complete cessation, which is highly challenging for smokers.

Mid-Infrared Light Reduces the Nicotine Content and Detoxifies Bidis for Safer Smoking

Tobacco use is dangerous to health and the environment. Despite the numerous measures taken to combat the adverse effects of tobacco, fruitful results are yet to be achieved. Nicotine is the primary psychoactive (and highly addictive) chemical component in tobacco. This study aimed to lower the nicotine content and detoxify bidis (a more harmful tobacco product compared to cigarettes). We subjected the bidi packets to 2–6 µm mid-infrared (midIR) light generated by a specially designed pocket-sized atomizer. The smoke from such mid-IR-treated bidis blown over animate and inanimate objects was non-irritating and harmless. Spectroscopic studies revealed that the applied 2–6 µm mid-IR exerted molecular-level changes and resulted in chemical compound transformations, thus lowering the nicotine content in the bidis. Trials with smokers demonstrated that the mid-IR-treated bidis were more desirable to smoke and also retained smoking pleasure and satiety. Thus, the 2–6 µm mid-IR light can detoxify the bidis and represents a safer way for smoking than attempting complete cessation, which is highly challenging for smokers.

Prospective Association Between Tobacco Use and at-Risk Alcohol Consumption Among Swedish Adolescents: Outlining the Influence of Tobacco Product, Frequency of Use and Gender in the LoRDIA Cohort.

Introduction: Tobacco use is not only a major risk factor for morbidity and mortality but also associated with alcohol misuse. While personality traits may be driving this association, the psychoactive component of tobacco, nicotine, may also be a major risk factor. The aim with this study was to further assess the prospective association between tobacco use and alcohol consumption, with special emphasis on the role of the tobacco product used (cigarettes and Swedish snus), frequency of use, and gender. Methods: Data was extracted from the prospective cohort Longitudinal Research on Development In Adolescence (LoRDIA), following Swedish adolescents over four waves (∼13 to 17years of age). Tobacco use was reported with respect to product used and frequency of use, while alcohol use was assessed using AUDIT-C, as well as frequency of use within the last year. Results: Use of tobacco, independent of product used and gender, was associated with increased alcohol consumption. High frequency of use and dual use strengthened to association. Individuals initiating tobacco use during the study period progressively increased their frequency of alcohol consumption compared to non-users during consecutive waves. Furthermore, tobacco use was associated with at-risk consumption of alcohol at follow up, even when adjusting for previous alcohol inebriation, socioeconomical factors, gender and novelty seeking. Conclusions: The data presented here suggests that nicotine use during adolescence, and especially dual use, is a major risk factor for future hazardous alcohol intake. This finding is especially important considering the escalated use of nicotine pouches, which in many ways resembles Swedish snus. From a public health perspective, preventive measures and policies designed to counteract all forms of nicotine use among youths is warranted.

GCF2 mediates nicotine-induced cancer stemness and progression in hepatocellular carcinoma

Cigarette smoking is one of the most impactful behavior-related risk factors for multiple cancers including hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). Nicotine, as the principal component of tobacco, is not only responsible for smoking addiction but also a carcinogen; nevertheless, the underlying mechanisms remain unclear. Here we report that nicotine enhances HCC cancer stemness and malignant progression by upregulating the expression of GC-rich binding factor 2 (GCF2), a gene that was revealed to be upregulated in HCC and whose upregulation predicts poor prognosis, and subsequently activating the Wnt/ꞵ-catenin/SOX2 signaling pathway. We found that nicotine significantly increased GCF2 expression and that silencing of GCF2 reduced nicotine-induced cancer stemness and progression. Mechanistically, nicotine could stabilize the protein level of GCF2, and then GCF2 could robustly activate its downstream Wnt/β-catenin signaling pathway. Taken together, our results thus suggest that GCF2 is a potential target for a therapeutic strategy against nicotine-promoted HCC.

Evaluation of Spermatogenic Activity of Polyherbal Compound Musalyadi Churna and its Protective Effect Against Nicotine-Induced Testicular Degeneration in Sprague-Dawley Rats.

The ancient science of life known as Ayurveda uses a variety of formulations or herbal compounds to treat a wide range of illnesses. Male infertility accounts for half of all infertility worldwide, and numerous etiological variables play a role. A pharmacologically active tobacco component called nicotine has a negative impact on male fertility and the reproductive system. Musalyadi Churna (MSC) is one of the polyherbal compound formulations mentioned in Ayurveda Classics for aphrodisiac therapy and recommended for the treatment of male infertility. The current study aims to evaluate the spermatogenic potential of MSC along with its protective effect against testicular degeneration induced by nicotine in rat models. Sixty adult Sprague-Dawley male rats were used in the experiment, which were divided into ten groups of six rats each. Nicotine was administered orally as disease control. The standard and vehicle control were also included along with study drug groups in which MSC was administered orally to the rats. The study was conducted for 70 days for each group with assessment of body weight and food consumption. After treatment, rats were weighed and sacrificed for evaluation of parameters like organ weight, epididymal sperm count, and sperm morphology along with histological assessment. The data were statistically evaluated using analysis of variance test and Bonferroni multiple-comparison range test to compare different treatment groups. In the present study, MSC possesses substantial spermatogenic efficacy, and the result indicates that the study drug possesses a protective effect against nicotine-induced impaired testicular functions in rats, but further research to elucidate its exact mechanism of action is essential.

Quit Attempts Among Smokers and its Association with CYP2A6 (rs56113850) Polymorphisms

Introduction: Nicotine serves as the primary addictive component of tobacco. While it is not a carcinogen itself, it plays an important role in encouraging smoking and ongoing exposure to numerous carcinogenic substances found in tobacco. The half-life of nicotine tends to be extended in individuals with reduced P450 2A6 activity, and smokers with lower enzyme activity frequently reduce either the intensity of their smoking or the number of cigarettes they consume when compared to individuals with 'normal' enzyme activity. Hence, a study assessed CYP2A6 polymorphisms and quit attempts among smokers. Materials and methods: 5ml of salivary samples were collected from 100 smokers and 100 nonsmokers who had visited Saveetha Dental College in April- May 2023. DNA isolation was done, followed by PCR analysis and Amplification with RFLP. Quit attempts, duration of quit attempts, and methods employed for smoking abstention were assessed using a questionnaire. The statistical association between quit attempts and CYP2A6 (rs56113850) polymorphism was done using the Chi-square test. Results: About 27.9% of smokers had an attempt to quit smoking previously; the rest of smokers (72.1%) did not make an attempt to quit the habit. About 74% smokers have the normal allele (T), the rest 26% have a variant allele (C), about 73% of non-smokers have a normal allele, and the rest 27% have a variant allele. Association between CYP2A6 allele variants and interest to quit scale showed that the normal genotype has a higher scale of interest in quitting tobacco, and the homozygous variant genotype shows the least interest towards quitting tobacco usage, suggesting that there is an association between gene polymorphism and quit attempts. Conclusion: In the present study, there is an association between quit attempts and CYP2A6 polymorphisms among the smokers who had visited the dental hospital. However, the association is not statistically significant.

Preventive effects of caffeine on nicotine plus high-fat diet-induced hepatic steatosis and gain weight: a possible explanation for why obese smokers with high coffee consumption tend to be leaner.

Non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) is a prevalent liver disorder, affecting approximately 25 % of the population. Coffee-drinking obese smokers exhibit lower body weights and decreased NAFLD rates, but the reasons behind this remain unclear. Additionally, the effect of nicotine, the main component of tobacco, on the development of NAFLD is still controversial. Our study aimed to explore the possible reasons that drinking coffee could alleviate NAFLD and gain weight and identify the real role of nicotine in NAFLD of obese smokers. A NAFLD model in mice was induced by administering nicotine and a high-fat diet (HFD). We recorded changes in body weight and daily food intake, measured the weights of the liver and visceral fat, and observed liver and adipose tissue histopathology. Lipid levels, liver function, liver malondialdehyde (MDA), superoxide dismutase (SOD), serum inflammatory cytokine levels and the expression of hepatic genes involved in lipid metabolism were determined. Our results demonstrated that nicotine exacerbated the development of NAFLD and caffeine had a hepatoprotective effect on NAFLD. The administration of caffeine could ameliorate nicotine-plus-HFD-induced NAFLD by reducing lipid accumulation, regulating hepatic lipid metabolism, alleviating oxidative stress, attenuating inflammatory response and restoring hepatic functions. Theseresultsmight explainwhyobese smokers with high coffee consumption exhibit the lower incidencerate of NAFLD and tend to be leaner. It is essential to emphasise that the detrimental impact of smoking on health is multifaceted. Smoking cessation remains the sole practical and effective strategy for averting the tobacco-related complications and reducing the risk of mortality.

The activity of 210Pb in cigarette smoked in Kazakhstan.

The radon decay product 210Pb is a known component of tobacco. In this study, the activity concentration of 210Pb in the most popular cigarette brands (six samples) for Kazakhstan consumers was determined by beta spectrometry. The activity levels of 210Pb ranged between 2.69 ± 0.27 and 27.42 ± 2.74mBq per cigarette. Higher activity concentrations for 210Pb were found in Sample No.4 and showed an excess of the world average by 1.8 times. The average activity concentrations of 210Pb in cigarette tobacco were 10.42 ± 1.04mBq cig-1. The daily activities inhaled in the lungs of a smoker, and the resulting effective doses due to cigarette smoking were calculated. Effective doses per year due to cigarette smoking were calculated assuming that 42.13% of the 210Pb in tobacco were retained in the lungs of the smokers. It is concluded that for a smoker in Kazakhstan, the average effective dose ranges from 9.1 ± 0.9 μSv/year to 92.8 ± 9.3 μSv/year for a cigarette consumption of one pack of cigarettes per day. The results indicate that the annual effective doses from inhalation of 210Pb due to smoking one pack of cigarettes per day are from 7 to 58 times (for different types of cigarettes) greater than the annual effective doses from ingestion of radionuclides via the diet.

The many urological consequences of smoking

The detrimental consequences of tobacco use in urology are often underestimated, despite its strong association with urological pathologies, including malignancies, sexual dysfunction, and urinary tract symptoms. Tobacco's components damage DNA, increasing the risk of bladder and urinary tract cancers, as well as renal cancer. In males, it's also correlated with prostate and penile cancers. Functionally, it leads to sexual dysfunctions, reducing erectile capacity and fertility in males. In females, it's linked to elevated urinary incontinence. In both genders, urinary tract symptoms worsen. Smoking cessation is consistently beneficial and should be encouraged by healthcare practitioners.

Factors Associated with Smokers Attending More Than One Smoking Cessation Clinic Visit

Smoking remains a primary cause of cancers, cardiovascular and respiratory diseases and death. Globally, efforts have been made to reduce smoking rates, but the addictive nature of nicotine, a key component of tobacco, makes cessation challenging for smokers. Medical interventions including medical advice and pharmacotherapies are effective methods for smoking cessation. The frequency of medical interventions correlates with success in smoking cessation. This study aims to compare the characteristics of the patients who visited the smoking cessation clinic once with those who visited more than once, in order to identify factors that are associated with repeat clinic visits. A total of 81 patients who have visited the smoking cessation clinic in Kangwon National University Hospital were included. Patients answered the questionnaire at their first visit. If the patient visited only once, the outcome was defined as negative and if the patient visited more than once, the outcome was defined as positive. The proportion of patients who answered “within 5 min” to the Fagerstrom Test for Nicotine Dependence’s (FTND) 1st question and answered “yes” to the FTND’s 6th question was higher in the negative outcome group. In the logistic regression, patients who had withdrawal symptoms previously were associated with positive outcomes (adjusted OR 3.466, 95% CI 1.088–11.034 and p value = 0.0354). Withdrawal symptoms during previous attempts were positively related to visiting the clinic more than once.