Cardiovascular autonomic reflexes in heavy smokers

Abstract Purpose The neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio (NLR) is a marker of systemic inflammation that has been reported to be associated with survival after chronic disease diagnoses, including lung cancer. We hypothesized that the inflammatory profile reflected by pre-diagnosis NLR, rather than the well-studied pre-treatment NLR at diagnosis, may be associated with increased mortality after lung cancer is diagnosed in high-risk heavy smokers. Methods We examined associations between pre-diagnosis methylation-derived NLR (mdNLR) and lung cancer-specific and all-cause mortality in 279 non-small lung cancer (NSCLC) and 81 small cell lung cancer (SCLC) cases from the β-Carotene and Retinol Efficacy Trial (CARET). Cox proportional hazards models were adjusted for age, sex, smoking status, pack years, and time between blood draw and diagnosis, and stratified by stage of disease. Models were run separately by histotype. Results Among SCLC cases, those with pre-diagnosis mdNLR in the highest quartile had 2.5-fold increased mortality compared to those in the lowest quartile. For each unit increase in pre-diagnosis mdNLR, we observed 22–23% increased mortality (SCLC-specific hazard ratio [HR] = 1.23, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 1.02, 1.48; all-cause HR = 1.22, 95% CI 1.01, 1.46). SCLC associations were strongest for current smokers at blood draw (Interaction Ps = 0.03). Increasing mdNLR was not associated with mortality among NSCLC overall, nor within adenocarcinoma (N = 148) or squamous cell carcinoma (N = 115) case groups. Conclusion Our findings suggest that increased mdNLR, representing a systemic inflammatory profile on average 4.5 years before a SCLC diagnosis, may be associated with mortality in heavy smokers who go on to develop SCLC but not NSCLC.

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Impact of smoking and fetal gender on preterm delivery

Journal of Developmental Origins of Health and Disease ◽

10.1017/s2040174420000999 ◽

2020 ◽

pp. 1-6

Author(s):

Veronika Günther ◽

Ibrahim Alkatout ◽

Alexandra Stein ◽

Nicolai Maass ◽

Alexander Strauss ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Risk Factors ◽

Preterm Birth ◽

Preterm Delivery ◽

Preterm Infants ◽

Preterm Births ◽

World Health ◽

Smoking During Pregnancy ◽

Fetal Gender ◽

Extremely Preterm ◽

Heavy Smokers

Abstract According to the World Health Organization, smoking is the most important risk factor for adverse pregnancy outcomes in industrialized nations. We aimed to establish how fetal gender and smoking interact with regard to perinatal outcomes, especially preterm delivery. Data from 220,339 singleton pregnancies, obtained from the German Perinatal Survey in Schleswig-Holstein and registered between 2004 and 2017 were analyzed in regard to smoking behavior, fetal gender, and preterm delivery. The rate of preterm births was directly proportional to the women’s consumption of nicotine. The rate of preterm deliveries was 6.8% among nonsmokers, and 13.2% in women who were very heavy smokers (≥22 cigarettes/day). Very heavy smoking (≥22 cigarettes/day) had a marked impact on extremely preterm births (<28 weeks of gestation) and very preterm births (28–31 weeks of gestation). Preterm births increased by 1.2% from heavy smokers to very heavy smokers; the differences between the other groups ranged between 0.1% and 0.4%. Fetal gender also had an impact on preterm birth: male infants were predominant in nearly all groups of women who delivered preterm infants. Smoking during pregnancy and male gender are both risk factors for preterm delivery. Fetal gender should be given greater attention as one of the several risk factors of preterm birth. Due to the high rate of morbidity among preterm infants and enormous costs for the healthcare system, women should be encouraged to cease or at least reduce smoking during pregnancy.

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Effect of Curare on Autonomic Reflexes.

Experimental Biology and Medicine ◽

10.3181/00379727-70-17043 ◽

1949 ◽

Vol 70 (4) ◽

pp. 718-719 ◽

Cited By ~ 5

Author(s):

C. L. Burstein ◽

A. Jackson ◽

E. A. Rovenstine

Keyword(s):

Autonomic Reflexes

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Comparison of the Renin Response to Dopamine and Noradrenaline in Normal Subjects and Patients with Autonomic Insufficiency

Clinical Science ◽

10.1042/cs0460481 ◽

1974 ◽

Vol 46 (4) ◽

pp. 481-488 ◽

Cited By ~ 3

Author(s):

C. S. Wilcox ◽

M. J. Aminoff ◽

A. B. Kurtz ◽

J. D. H. Slater

Keyword(s):

Autonomic Failure ◽

Sodium Intake ◽

Plasma Renin ◽

Normal Subjects ◽

Control Groups ◽

Autonomic Reflexes ◽

Fractional Increase ◽

The Mean ◽

Autonomic Insufficiency ◽

Stimulation Of

1. The effect on plasma renin activity (PRA) of dopamine and noradrenaline infusions was studied in three patients with Shy—Drager syndrome, three patients with Parkinson's disease and normal autonomic reflexes, and three healthy volunteers. The patients with the Shy—Drager syndrome had functional evidence of a peripheral lesion of the sympathetic nervous system and subnormal PRA on a controlled sodium intake. 2. In all subjects catecholamines were infused step-wise for 4 min until a 30% rise in systolic blood pressure occurred. 3. In each subject, PRA fell after noradrenaline but rose after dopamine. The mean fractional increase in PRA after dopamine was no less in the Shy—Drager patients than in the control groups. 4. The results suggest, first, that stimulation of dopamine receptors can release renin, and secondly, that inadequate renin stores cannot explain the low PRA found in our patients with autonomic failure.

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Plasma Renin in Idiopathic Orthostatic Hypotension: Differential Response in Subjects with Probable Afferent and Efferent Autonomic Failure

Clinical Science ◽

10.1042/cs0410289 ◽

1971 ◽

Vol 41 (4) ◽

pp. 289-299 ◽

Cited By ~ 41

Author(s):

D. R. Love ◽

J. J. Brown ◽

R. H. Chinn ◽

R. H. Johnson ◽

A. F. Lever ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Orthostatic Hypotension ◽

Autonomic Function ◽

Autonomic Failure ◽

Plasma Renin ◽

Sympathetic Block ◽

Baroreceptor Reflexes ◽

Idiopathic Orthostatic Hypotension ◽

Autonomic Reflexes ◽

Efferent Pathways ◽

Venous Plasma

1. The changes of peripheral venous plasma renin concentration (PRC) induced by head-up tilting were studied in four patients with orthostatic hypotension. 2. Two of the patients had the Holmes—Adie syndrome and tests of autonomic function suggested that they had an afferent block from baroreceptors with intact efferent pathways; the others had no evidence of the Holmes—Adie syndrome and investigations suggested that they had interruption of efferent sympathetic pathways. 3. In the two patients in whom lesions of the afferent side of baroreceptor reflexes were suspected, a marked increase in PRC occurred with upright tilting, whereas no change in PRC occurred in the two patients thought to have an efferent sympathetic block. 4. During repeated tilting, supine blood pressure and PRC increased progressively in the two patients with suspected afferent block, but not in the two patients with suspected efferent block. 5. It is suggested that an increase in plasma renin may contribute to the supine hypertension sometimes observed in patients with orthostatic hypotension. 6. It is also suggested that renin release does not require intact autonomic reflexes although certain components of efferent sympathetic pathways, not dependent on baroreceptor reflexes, may be important.

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Potential effect of tobacco cigarettes smoking on global DNA methylation status and protamines transcripts in human spermatozoa

Middle East Fertility Society Journal ◽

10.1186/s43043-021-00066-3 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 26 (1) ◽

Author(s):

Mohammed M. Laqqan ◽

Maged M. Yassin

Keyword(s):

Dna Methylation ◽

Cigarette Smoking ◽

Dna Fragmentation ◽

Methylation Status ◽

Human Spermatozoa ◽

Global Dna Methylation ◽

Transcription Level ◽

Heavy Smokers ◽

Protamine 1 ◽

Protamine 2

Abstract Background Epigenetics refers to an alteration in gene expression without alteration in the sequence of DNA and this process may be affected by environmental factors and lifestyle like cigarette smoking. This study was designed to evaluate the potential effect of cigarette smoking on the global DNA methylation status and the transcription level of protamine 1 and protamine 2 in human spermatozoa. A total of 188 semen samples were collected from men with a mean age of 34.9 ± 5.8 years old (98 heavy smokers and 90 non-smokers). The DNA and RNA were isolated from purified spermatozoa, then the status of global DNA methylation and the transcription level of protamine 1 and protamine 2 were evaluated using ELISA and qPCR, respectively. The chromatin non-condensation and DNA fragmentation in human spermatozoa were evaluated using chromomycin A3 staining and TUNEL assay, respectively. Results A significant increase has been found in the status of global DNA methylation in spermatozoa of heavy smokers compared to non-smokers (7.69 ± 0.69 ng/μl vs. 4.90 ± 0.40 ng/μl, P < 0.001). Additionally, a significant reduction has been found in transcription level of protamine 1 (25.49 ± 0.31 vs. 23.94 ± 0.40, P < 0.001) and protamine 2 (28.27 ± 0.39 vs. 23.45 ± 0.30, P < 0.001) in heavy smokers. A downregulation has been found in the transcription level of protamine 1 and protamine 2 with a fold change of 0.497 and 0.047, respectively. A significant increase has been shown in the level of DNA fragmentation and chromatin non-condensation in heavy smokers compared to non-smokers (P < 0.001). On the other hand, a significant positive correlation has been found between sperm chromatin non-condensation, sperm DNA fragmentation, transcription level of protamine 1, transcription level of protamine 2, and global DNA methylation status (r = 0.304, P < 0.001; r = 0.399, P < 0.001; r = 0.216, P = 0.003; r = 0.494, P < 0.001, respectively). Conclusion Tobacco cigarette smoking has a potential influence on the global DNA methylation and the transcription level of protamine genes in human spermatozoa, and consequently, affect negatively on the semen parameters.

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