Effect of cigarette smoking on duodenogastric reflux of bile acids

The possibility that smoking induces duodenogastric reflux was examined in 13 healthy male volunteers. Gastric juice was aspirated for four consecutive 20-minute periods, and reflux quantitated by measuring total bile acids (TBA), chenodeoxycholic acid (CDCA) and glycocholic acid (GCA) in the juice. One cigarette was smoked during either period 2 or period 3. Amounts of bile acids (mumoles: means +/- SEM) refluxing into stomach during the pre-smoking, smoking, and post-smoking periods respectively were: TBA-4.5 +/- 1.1, 5.4 +/- 3.0 and 3.9 +/- 1.6, CDCA-1.7 +/- 0.6, 1.5 +/- 0.9 and 2.0 +/- 1.1; GCA-1.8 +/- 1.1, 1.1 +/- 0.6 and 1.0 +/- 0.6. Paired analysis revealed no significant effect of smoking on any of these parameters. These findings, based on quantitative methods, do not confirm those of previous unblinded and semiquantitative studies. We conclude that smoking one cigarette does not provoke duodenogastric reflux.