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Cigarette smoke, ferritin, and lipid peroxidation
D Lapenna1, S de Gioia, A Mezzetti
1Istituto di Fisiopatologia Medica, Università G. D'Annunzio, Chieti, Italy.
American Journal of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine
|February 1, 1995
Summary
Cigarette smoke releases iron from ferritin, triggering harmful oxidation. While tar acts as an antioxidant, the gas phase promotes lipid peroxidation, suggesting a key mechanism in smoking-related diseases.
Area of Science:
- Biochemistry
- Toxicology
- Environmental Health
Background:
- Cigarette smoke contains numerous compounds with potential pro-oxidant and antioxidant activities.
- Ferritin is an iron-storage protein, and its iron can be released under certain conditions, potentially contributing to oxidative stress.
- Understanding the interaction between cigarette smoke components and ferritin is crucial for elucidating smoking-related health risks.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the in vitro effects of gas and tar phases of cigarette smoke on ferritin-iron release.
- To assess the oxidant capacity of cigarette smoke phases on polyunsaturated fatty acids.
- To determine the role of ferritin-iron mobilization in cigarette smoke-induced lipid peroxidation.
Main Methods:
- Separation of cigarette smoke into gas and tar phases using a vacuum pump and Cambridge filters.
- In vitro incubation of reaction mixtures with smoke phases or their aqueous extracts.
- Measurement of ferritin-iron release and lipid peroxidation.
- Assessment of antioxidant/pro-oxidant effects using specific inhibitors and scavengers like superoxide dismutase (SOD), deferoxamine mesylate, and vitamin E.
Main Results:
- Both gas and tar phases of cigarette smoke induced ferritin-iron release.
- Gas phase induced significant lipid peroxidation, while tar extracts exhibited antioxidant effects, even antagonizing non-chelated iron-driven peroxidation.
- Iron mobilization from ferritin was essential for the gas phase's pro-oxidant effect on lipid peroxidation.
Conclusions:
- Cigarette smoke's intrinsic lipoperoxidative capacity is low and primarily due to the gas phase.
- Interaction with ferritin potentiates a marked iron-driven peroxidation, mainly driven by the gas phase, with tar components acting as antioxidants.
- Cigarette smoke-mediated iron mobilization from ferritin may be a specific pro-oxidant mechanism contributing to health issues associated with smoking.