Postprandial oxidative stress is exacerbated in cigarette smokers

Both cigarette smoking and high fat meals induce oxidative stress, which is associated with the pathogenesis of numerous diseases. We compared blood antioxidant status, oxidative stress biomarkers and TAG in twenty smokers and twenty non-smokers, matched for age and physical activity, in response to a high fat test meal standardized to body mass. Blood samples were collected before feeding (resting and fasted) and at 1, 2, 4 and 6 h post feeding and analysed for antioxidant capacity (trolox equivalent antioxidant capacity; TEAC), xanthine oxidase activity (XO), hydrogen peroxide (H2O2), malondialdehyde (MDA) and TAG. Smoking status (P < 0.001) and time (P < or = 0.01) effects were noted for all variables, with smokers demonstrating higher values compared with non-smokers for all variables except for TEAC, for which values were lower for smokers. XO, H2O2, MDA and TAG increased following feeding with a peak response at the 4 h post feeding time point, with the opposite response occurring for TEAC. Although no interaction effects were noted (P>0.05), contrasts revealed greater values in smokers compared with non-smokers for XO, H2O2, MDA and TAG, and lower values for TEAC at times from 1-6 h post feeding (P < or = 0.05). Our findings indicate that young cigarette smokers experience an exaggerated oxidative stress response to feeding, as well as hypertriacylglycerolaemia, as compared with non-smokers. These data provide insight into another possible mechanism associating cigarette smoking with ill health and disease.