Nicotine Levels In Cigarettes Research Articles

Self-Administered Nicotine Suppresses Body Weight Gain Independent of Food Intake in Male Rats.

The action of nicotine to suppress body weight is often cited as a factor impacting smoking initiation and the failure to quit. Despite the weight-suppressant effects of nicotine, smokers and nonsmokers report equal daily caloric intake. The weight-suppressive effects of nicotine in animal models of smoking are poorly understood. Furthermore, the Food and Drug Administration has authority to implement a policy markedly reducing nicotine levels in cigarettes; such a reduction could reduce smoking behavior, but have detrimental effects on body weight. The aim of this investigation was to examine the effects of self-administered nicotine on body weight and food intake in rats. In Experiment 1, rats with ad libitum access to chow responded for intravenous infusions of nicotine (60 µg/kg/infusion) or saline in daily 1-hour sessions; body weight and 24-hour food intake were measured. Experiment 2 tested the effects of subcutaneous injections of nicotine on food intake. In Experiment 3, rats were food restricted and self-administered nicotine across a range of doses (3.75-60 µg/kg/infusion) while body weight was measured. In Experiment 4, rats self-administered 60 µg/kg/infusion nicotine before reduction to one of several doses (1.875-15 µg/kg/infusion) for 50 days. Self-administered nicotine suppressed weight gain independent of food intake. In food restricted rats, self-administered nicotine dose-dependently suppressed body weight gain. In rats self-administering 60 µg/kg/infusion nicotine, dose reduction increased body weight. Self-administered nicotine, even at low doses, suppressed body independent of food intake; this may have important implications for nicotine reduction policy. The results of the present studies demonstrate that self-administered nicotine suppresses body weight independent of food intake in rats. Further, the present studies establish that self-administered nicotine suppresses body weight even at very low doses and that reduction of nicotine dose results in weight gain. These results have important implications for nicotine reduction policy.

Adolescent Rats Self-Administer Less Nicotine Than Adults at Low Doses

Although nearly 90% of current smokers initiated tobacco use during adolescence, little is known about reinforcement by nicotine in adolescents. Researchers are currently investigating whether a potential public health policy setting a tobacco product standard with very low nicotine levels would improve public health, and it is essential to understand whether data generated in adults translates to adolescents, particularly as it relates to the threshold dose of nicotine required to support smoking. The present study compared self-administration of low doses of nicotine between adolescent and adult rats. Adolescent (postnatal day [P] 30) and adult (P90) male and female rats were allowed to nosepoke to receive intravenous infusions of nicotine (3-100 μg/kg/infusion) during 16 daily 1-hour sessions. At 10 μg/kg/infusion nicotine, adolescent rats earned significantly fewer infusions than adults. When responding for 30 μg/kg/infusion nicotine, rats of both ages earned a similar number of infusions; however, there were subtle differences in the distribution of infusions across the 1-hour session. No sex differences were apparent in either age group at any dose. These results demonstrate that adolescent rats are less sensitive than adults to the primary reinforcing effects of nicotine. However, at nicotine doses that support self-administration in both age groups, adolescent and adult rats do not differ in acquisition or number of infusions earned. These results suggest that reducing nicotine levels in cigarettes to a level that does not support smoking in adults may be sufficient to reduce the acquisition of smoking in adolescents. The results of the present studies demonstrate that adolescent rats are less sensitive than adults to the primary reinforcing effects of nicotine. These results suggest that reducing nicotine levels in cigarettes to a level that does not support smoking in adults will be sufficient to reduce the acquisition of smoking in adolescents.

The Predicted Impact of Reducing the Nicotine Content in Cigarettes on Alcohol Use

Product standards reducing the level of nicotine in cigarettes could significantly improve public health by reducing smoking behavior and toxicant exposure. However, relatively little is known about how the regulatory strategy could impact alcohol use, a closely related health behavior that is also a major contributor to morbidity and mortality. The primary objective of this paper is to predict the effect of nicotine reduction on alcohol use, identify priorities for future research, and highlight areas for mitigating any adverse outcomes. We critically reviewed and integrated literatures examining the effects of very low nicotine content (VLNC) cigarettes on smoking-related outcomes (nicotine exposure, nicotine withdrawal, and smoking as a cue to drink) and, in turn, the effects of those outcomes on alcohol use. Current evidence suggests reducing the nicotine content of cigarettes may benefit public health by reducing alcohol use and problematic drinking over time as a consequence of reduced exposure to nicotine and the smoking cues associated with drinking. Nicotine withdrawal could increase risk of drinking, although these effects should be short-lived and could be mitigated by other sources of nicotine. Gender, hazardous drinking, and psychiatric comorbidities are likely to be important moderators of the effects of VLNC cigarettes. It is imperative to broadly assess the public health impact of potential tobacco product regulations by including measures of closely related health behaviors that could be impacted by these interventions. Nicotine reduction in cigarettes may contribute to improved public health through reductions in alcohol use.

Study finds US smokers favor less‐addictive cigarettes

A Roswell Park Cancer Institute (RPCI) survey found that smokers strongly support the development of less-addictive cigarettes. In the nationally representative survey, 678 smokers were asked about their attitudes toward the Family Smoking Prevention and Tobacco Control Act, and the results were published in the journal BMC Public Health.1 71% of respondents were unaware of the authority of the FDA to regulate tobacco; 67% supported reducing nicotine levels in cigarettes if nicotine was available in non-cigarette form; 67% indicated support for banning cigarette advertising, promotion, and marketing activities; and 41% would support a law that would ban additives and flavoring that make cigarettes seem less harsh. Andrew Hyland, PhD, chair of the department of health behavior at RPCI, notes that the baseline data were gathered shortly after the law was passed and before specific regulatory measures were enacted. The amount of support for specific policy measures helps inform policy development and the continuing need to educate smokers and the general public about the new law, he adds. The survey began in 2002 and has been conducted nearly annually along with ITC surveys in Canada, the United Kingdom, and Australia. These also are part of the global ITC Project, which is surveying more than 20 countries to evaluate tobacco control policies, including raising tobacco taxes, banning tobacco advertising and promotion, and enacting smoke-free laws. Dr. Hyland and his colleagues are comparing their survey data with those of other countries to understand the potential of US policies to reduce tobacco use throughout the world. Reference

Impact of smoking on the frequencies of micronuclei and other nuclear abnormalities in exfoliated oral cells: a comparative study with different cigarette types

The primary aim of the study was to investigate the impact of tar and nicotine contents of cigarettes on chromosomal damage in oral mucosa cells of smokers. We monitored the effect of smoking different cigarette types (i.e., of ultralight filter, light filter, medium filter and unfiltered cigarettes) on induction of nuclear anomalies including micronuclei (MN), broken eggs (BE), binucleates (BN), condensed chromatin (CC), karyorrhexis (KR), karyolysis (KL) and pyknosis (P) in exfoliated buccal cells. The cells were collected from 83 healthy heavy smokers (n=15-25/group) consuming a similar number of cigarettes (26-33) per day and from never smokers as controls (n=20). The frequencies of KR, CC, KL, BE and BN were increased significantly only in smokers of medium (MF) and non-filtered (NF) types of cigarettes while MN levels were only elevated (p < 0.0001) in the group that smoked NF cigarettes. Since BN and BE were increased (p < 00001) as a consequence of exposure to lower levels of toxic constituents in tobacco, it suggests that these endpoints, which both reflect DNA damage, are more sensitive than MN, which is the only parameter scored in most earlier studies. The induction of MN, BN, KR and KL increased significantly with daily tar exposure and decreased simultaneously with daily nicotine uptake (in all cases, P was < 0.0001). These findings also suggest that nicotine potentially protects cells against DNA reactive carcinogens contained in tobacco smoke although earlier in vitro and animal studies showed that the alkaloid induces DNA damage per se. A significant inverse correlation between the frequencies of endpoints such as cells with MN (- 1.56), MN (-1.69), BN (-1.36), KR (-1.10) and KL (-1.87) with the nicotine levels in cigarettes was found. However, this observation requires further verification by a controlled intervention study. In case it can be substantiated it will have an impact on the ongoing discussion of the health risks associated with nicotine replacement therapy.

Nicotine reduction revisited: science and future directions

Regulation of nicotine levels in cigarettes and other tobacco products is now possible with the passage of the Family Smoking Prevention and Tobacco Control Act (FSPTCA) in 2009, giving the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) authority to regulate tobacco products, and with Articles 9-11 of the WHO Framework Convention on Tobacco Control. Both regulatory approaches allow establishing product standards for tobacco constituents, including nicotine. The FSPTCA does not allow nicotine levels to be decreased to zero, although the FDA has the authority to reduce nicotine yields to very low, presumably non-addicting levels. The proposal to reduce levels of nicotine to a level that is non-addicting was originally suggested in 1994. Reduction of nicotine in tobacco products could potentially have a profound impact on reducing tobacco-related morbidity and mortality. To examine this issue, two meetings were convened in the US with non-tobacco-industry scientists of varied disciplines, tobacco control policymakers and representatives of government agencies. This article provides an overview of the current science in the area of reduced nicotine content cigarettes and key conclusions and recommendations for research and policy that emerged from the deliberations of the meeting members.

New lower nicotine cigarettes can produce compensatory smoking and increased carbon monoxide exposure

Potential reduced exposure products (PREPs) are marketed as a means to reduce exposure to tobacco toxicants. Quest ® cigarettes, a new type of PREP, use genetically modified tobacco to provide a nicotine step-down approach, and are available as 0.6, 0.3 and 0.05 mg nicotine cigarettes. However, these cigarettes deliver equivalent levels of tar (10 mg). Prior research on low nicotine cigarettes suggests smokers will compensate for lower nicotine delivery by increasing their puffing behavior to extract more nicotine. This study tested the hypothesis that compensatory smoking will occur with this PREP as nicotine levels decrease, increasing exposure to tobacco toxins. Fifty smokers completed a within-subject human laboratory study investigating the effect of cigarette nicotine level on smoking behavior. Cigarette nicotine level was double-blinded and order of presentation counter-balanced. Breath carbon monoxide (CO) boost was used as a biomarker of smoke exposure; total puff volume to assess smoking behavior. Total puff volume was greatest for the 0.05 mg nicotine cigarette and CO boost was moderately greater after smoking the 0.3 and 0.05 mg cigarettes compared to the 0.6 mg nicotine cigarette. These data provide novel behavioral and biochemical evidence of compensatory smoking when smoking lower nicotine cigarettes. Although marketed as a PREP, increases in CO boost suggest this product can potentially be a harm-increasing product.

Agronomic, Chemical, and Smoke Characteristics of Flue‐cured Tobacco Lines with Different Levels of Total Alkaloids1

abstractTotal alkaloids (predominately nicotine) are important constitutents in flue‐cured tobacco (Nicotiana tabacum L.). Due to varying nicotine levels in cigarettes, it is of interest to see what effect varying alkaloid levels in tobacco have on certain agronomic and chemical characteristics of the cured leaf. Experiments were conducted at two locations to develop lines of flue‐cured tobacco with different levels of total alkaloids and to evaluate these lines for agronomic, chemical, and smoke characteristics. Three flue‐cured cultivars with different total alkaloid levels were chosen as recurrent parents. The parents and alkaloid levels were: 'Coker 139' (1.88%), 'NC 95' (3.28%), and 'SC 58' (4.51%). Each cultivar was crossed with a low alkaloid line (0.20%). After the initial cross, backcrosses were made in each F2population between a low alkaloid plant and its respective recurrent parent. BC5F7generation plants with different levels of total alkaloids were selected and advanced to the BC5F7to obtain stable lines. Also dihaploids were developed from BC5F7plants and lines with different levels of total alkaloids were selected. Both the BC5F7and dihaploid populations were evaluated. Based on these tests the line with the highest yield and grade index at each alkaloid level was further evaluated for total alkaloids, reducing sugars, yield, grade index, days to flower, plant height, and number of leaves per plant. Lines with the following levels of total alkaloids were evaluated: NC 95 family ‐ 0.34, 1.08, 2.05, 3.11, and 3.55%; SC 58 family ‐ 0.38, 1.59, 1.90, 2.82, 4.18, and 4.82%; and the Coker 139 family ‐ 0.20, 0.93,1.66,1.84, and 2.17%. The 1.08% line in the NC 95 and 1.59% line in the SC 58 families were dihaploids. None of the lines converted appreciable amounts of nicotine to nornicotine. Therefore, the total alkaloid levels reflected predominantly nicotine. In most families the high alkaloid lines gave the highest grade index. Days to flower, plant height, and number of leaves per plant were not associated with total alkaloid levels in cured leaf. Cigarette smoke from the different tobacco lines was evaluated by two smoke panels. The results from Panel A indicated that it was difficult to associate any of the taste parameters with levels of total alkaloids in the leaf. The results from Panel B indicated that an increase in total alkaloids in the leaf was accompanied by an increase in flavor of the smoke.