Related Experiment Videos
Effect of heavy cigarette smoking on renal and myocardial arterioles
Abstract:
While cigarette smoking is felt to damage small vessels in organs not in direct contact with smoke, the kidney has not been considered a target organ. Sections of kidney and myocardium in 40 autopsied subjects without known disease which damage small vessels (21 smokers, 4 ex-smokers and 15 nonsmokers) were examined to determine if the percentage of intima (IP) was increased in small (less than 150 microns) and larger (150-550 microns) arterioles. In both organs and in all vessels, mean IP was significantly greater in smokers. The degree of increase did not correlate with smoking dosage (in pack-years) but did show a positive correlation with age in the kidney but not the heart. In the kidney, at all ages studied, IP was significantly increased in smokers compared to nonsmokers. We conclude that the kidney is another target organ of smoking. Whether this causes clinical disease is unknown.
Insights
Cigarette smoking significantly increases intima percentage in kidney arterioles, suggesting the kidney is a target organ. This damage was observed across all ages in smokers, regardless of smoking dosage.
Area of Science:
- Cardiovascular Science
- Nephrology
- Pathology
Background:
- Cigarette smoking is known to affect organs not in direct contact with smoke.
- The kidney has not been traditionally considered a target organ for smoking-related vascular damage.
- Intima percentage (IP) in arterioles is a marker of vascular changes.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate if cigarette smoking increases intima percentage (IP) in kidney and myocardial arterioles.
- To determine if the kidney is a target organ for smoking-induced vascular changes.
Main Methods:
- Autopsied kidney and myocardium sections from 40 subjects (21 smokers, 4 ex-smokers, 15 nonsmokers) were analyzed.
- The percentage of intima (IP) was measured in small (<150 microns) and large (150-550 microns) arterioles.
- Subjects had no known diseases affecting small vessels.
Main Results:
- Mean intima percentage (IP) was significantly greater in smokers compared to nonsmokers in both kidney and heart arterioles.
- Increased IP in the kidney correlated positively with age but not with smoking dosage (pack-years).
- Kidney IP was elevated in smokers across all age groups studied.
Conclusions:
- The kidney is identified as a target organ for cigarette smoking.
- Smoking-induced vascular changes in the kidney are evident through increased intima percentage.
- The clinical significance of these kidney vascular changes in smokers remains to be determined.