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Effect of nicotine on lipoprotein metabolism in rats
Author(s) -
Ashakumary L.,
Vijayammal P. L.
Publication year - 1997
Publication title -
lipids
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.601
H-Index - 120
eISSN - 1558-9307
pISSN - 0024-4201
DOI - 10.1007/s11745-997-0038-8
Subject(s) - lipidology , clinical chemistry , metabolism , nicotine , chemistry , medicine , pharmacology , endocrinology
Nicotine, a major component of cigarette smoke, plays an important role in the development of cardiovascular disease and lung cancer in smokers. The effect of nicotine on lipoprotein metabolism was studied using rats as the experimental animal. There was a significant increase in the total cholesterol, phospholipids, and triglycerides as well as the amount of lipids associated with very low density lipoprotein (VLDL) and low density lipoprotein (LDL) in sera of nicotine‐treated rats. The incorporation of 3 H labeled leucine into the apo B was found to be increased both in the medium and associated cells in the hepatocytes isolated from nicotine‐treated rats indicating an increased synthesis and secretion of the apo B containing lipoproteins. This was further confirmed by the higher incorporation of 14 C acetate into total and individual lipids of LDL and VLDL secreted into the medium as well as that associated with different lipids in the cell layer. The activity of lipoprotein lipase in extrahepatic tissues and plasma lecithin cholesterol acyltransferase activity were significantly lower in nicotine‐treated rats. These results indicate that nicotine exerts hyperlipidemic effects particularly by increasing the synthesis and secretion of triglyceride‐rich lipoproteins. Since nicotine is one of the major hazardous components present in cigarette smoke and tobacco, one can extrapolate that the deleterious effect exerted by nicotine on rats extends to cigarette smokers and those who use other forms of tobacco.