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09:50
Impact Assessment of Repeated Exposure of Organotypic 3D Bronchial and Nasal Tissue Culture Models to Whole Cigarette Smoke
Published on: February 12, 2015
[Effect of smoking on the hypophyseo-adrenal axis]
Medicina (Florence, Italy)
|April 1, 1989
Summary
Smoking significantly blunts the hormonal response to stress tests. Nicotine may desensitize the hypothalamo-pituitary-adrenal axis, impacting endocrine function in smokers.
Area of Science:
- Endocrinology
- Neuroendocrinology
- Physiology
Context:
- Investigates the impact of chronic cigarette smoking on the hypothalamo-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis.
- Compares hormonal responses in healthy non-smokers and habitual smokers during specific endocrine stimulation tests.
Purpose:
- To determine the effect of nicotine exposure from smoking on adrenocorticotrophin (ACTH) and cortisol release.
- To assess potential alterations in the sensitivity of central nervous mechanisms regulating the HPA axis in smokers.
Summary:
- Plasma ACTH and cortisol levels were measured in 60 subjects (non-smokers and smokers) undergoing insulin-induced hypoglycemia and lysin-8-vasopressin tests.
- Non-smokers exhibited significant increases in both hormones, while smokers showed diminished and non-significant responses.
- Findings suggest chronic nicotine inhalation may impair HPA axis responsiveness.
Impact:
- Highlights cigarette smoking as a significant factor contributing to endocrine disorders, specifically affecting the pituitary-adrenal axis.
- Suggests that chronic nicotine exposure can lead to reduced sensitivity of central regulatory mechanisms controlling ACTH and cortisol.
- Provides evidence for the detrimental effects of smoking on the body's stress response system.
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