SERUM CONCENTRATION OF NITRIC OXIDE IN WOMEN SMOKERS AND NONSMOKERS WITH OVERWEIGHT

to evaluate the serum concentration of NO in overweight women, smokers (SG) and nonsmokers (NSG).

blood samples from smokers (n = 20) and nonsmokers (n = 18) were collected to obtain serum, and stored at -80 °C until analysis. NO was assessed by measuring total nitrite, determined by Greiss method. It was adopted as reference 24.4 μmol/L, mean value found in a study with healthy subjects without excess weight. We used the Student t test to compare the means of age and waist circumference, and the Mann-Whitney U test to compare the median of concentrations of nitrite, number of cigarettes/day and Body Mass Index. We adopted a significance level of p < 0.05.

the median nitrite in SG was 16.53 (2.79 - 69.72) μmol/L, whereas in NSG was 10.85 (1.44 - 43.25) μmol/L (p = 0.028). BMI median value to SG and NSG, was respectively 29.50 (25.00 - 38.14) kg/m2 and 30.68 (25.10 - 36.98) kg/m2 (p = 0.530), being classified as overweight. The data showing that the average nitrite was below the estimated value for healthy individuals.

the results indicate a decrease of NO metabolites in women with excess weight, independently of being smoker. Despite the significant difference found between groups, these women had values well below the reference value of NO for healthy women. Therefore, it seems that smoking does not interfere in nitrite levels in patients already compromised by obesity.