Related Experiment Video
Updated: Aug 30, 2026
A Microcontroller Operated Device for the Generation of Liquid Extracts from Conventional Cigarette Smoke and Electronic Cigarette Aerosol
Published on: January 18, 2018
Nicotine metabolite ratio as a predictor of cigarette consumption
Neal L Benowitz1, Ovide F Pomerleau, Cynthia S Pomerleau
1Department of Medicine, University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, CA 94143-1220, USA. nbeno@itsa.ucsf.edu
Abstract:
The rate of nicotine metabolism is hypothesized to be a determinant of how much a person smokes. That is, rapid metabolizers would be expected to need more nicotine and, therefore, smoke more than slow metabolizers. Nicotine is metabolized extensively by the liver enzyme CYP2A6, primarily to cotinine. Cotinine is itself metabolized by CYP2A6 to 3'-hydroxycotinine (3-HC). The ratio of metabolite to parent (i.e., 3-HC:cotinine) would be expected to reflect CYP2A6 activity. We measured the ratio of 3-HC:cotinine in the urine of 72 smokers. This ratio was significantly correlated with the number of cigarettes smoked per day (r=.33, p=.005), though not with the Fagerström Test for Nicotine Dependence. This finding supports the hypothesis that the rate of nicotine metabolism is a determinant of the level of cigarette consumption and supports the use of the 3-HC:cotinine ratio as a noninvasive marker of nicotine metabolism.
More Related Videos
Related Concept Videos
01:23Drugs Acting on Autonomic Ganglia: Stimulants
Ganglionic stimulants activate NM nicotinic receptors in autonomic ganglia, falling into two categories: nicotine mimetics [e.g., lobeline, dimethylpiperazine, tetramethylammonium] and muscarinic receptor agonists [e.g., muscarine, methacholine]. The first category's action is rapid and blocked by nicotinic receptor antagonists, while the second category's action is delayed and blocked by atropine-like agents. Nicotine, an alkaloid, affects the heart rate by stimulating sympathetic or...
01:29Stimulants
Cocaine can be administered via snorting, injection, or smoking. It primarily functions by blocking the reuptake of dopamine, resulting in a euphoric high characterized by an intense sensation of happiness and...
01:25Drug Distribution as One-Compartment Model and Elimination by Nonlinear Pharmacokinetics: Overview
For instance, consider the metabolism of sodium salicylate. This compound is metabolized into two distinct substances: a glucuronide and a glycine conjugate. The rate of conjugation depends on...