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J.Health Sci., 55(2), 265-270, 2009

Influence of Chronic Cigarette Smoking on Serum Biochemical Profile in Male Human Volunteers

Pannuru Padmavathi,a Vaddi Damodara Reddy,b and Nallanchakravarthula Varadacharyulu*, a

aDepartment of Biochemistry, Sri Krishnadevaraya University, SV. Puram, Anantapur, and Andhra Pradesh, India - 515003 and bKosair Children's Hospital Research Institute, Department of Pediatrics, School of Medicine, University of Louisville Health sciences, 570, S. Preston Street, Louisville, Kentuchy, USA-40202

Electrolytes and minerals are involved in most cellular activities and assume a major role in metabolism. The present study is aimed to understand the influence of electrolyte alterations on serum lipid profile and enzymes in chronic cigarette smokers. Thirty human male volunteers in each group, aged between 27 and 35 taking local diet and smoking for 7-10 years at least 8-12 cigarettes per day were chosen as experimental subjects. All the subjects were using cigarettes without a filter. Controls (age, sex and diet matched) who did not smoke were selected for the study. Blood samples drawn from human volunteers by venipuncture and were used immediately for analysis. There was no significant change observed in serum sodium, chloride levels, where as significant (p<0.05) increase was observed in potassium, iron, calcium and phosphate in chronic cigarette smokers when compared to controls. Further, enhanced activities of the serum enzymes viz., transaminases (Aspartate Aminotransferase (AST) and Alanine Aminotransferase (ALT)), alkaline phosphatase (ALP), lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) and with no change in γ-glutamyl transferase (γGT) were observed. The concentration of calcium was positively correlated with serum total cholesterol and low-density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol (r=0.252, r=0.347) respectively and negatively (r=-0.164) correlated with high-density lipoprotein (HDL) cholesterol, further, potassium was positively correlated with LDH, ALP and ALT (r=0.419, r=0.174, 0.248) respectively in chronic cigarette smokers. Chronic cigarette smoking might have induced alterations in membrane permeability properties of tissues and organs, which might have resulted in changes in signal transduction and electrolyte imbalance.