Skip Navigation

This Article
Right arrow Full Text (PDF)
Right arrow E-letters: Submit a response
Right arrow Alert me when this article is cited
Right arrow Alert me when E-letters are posted
Right arrow Alert me if a correction is posted
Services
Right arrow Email this article to a friend
Right arrow Similar articles in this journal
Right arrow Similar articles in PubMed
Right arrow Alert me to new issues of the journal
Right arrow Add to My Personal Archive
Right arrow Download to citation manager
Right arrow Search for citing articles in:
ISI Web of Science (11)
Right arrowRequest Permissions
Right arrow Disclaimer
Google Scholar
Right arrow Articles by Bodis, S.
Right arrow Articles by Haregewoin, A.
Right arrow Search for Related Content
PubMed
Right arrow PubMed Citation
Right arrow Articles by Bodis, S.
Right arrow Articles by Haregewoin, A.
Social Bookmarking
Add to CiteULike   Add to Connotea   Add to Del.icio.us  
What's this?

Annals of Oncology 5:371-372, 1994
© 1994 European Society for Medical Oncology

brief-report

Significantly reduced salivary nitric oxide levels in smokers

S. Bodis1, and A. Haregewoin2

1Joint Center for Radiation Therapy (JCRT), Harvard Medical School, Dana Farber Cancer Institute Boston, MA, U.S.A.
2Shields Warren Research Laboratories Boston, MA, U.S.A.

Correspondence to: Stephan Bodis, M.D., Joint Center for Radiation Therapy (JCRT), Harvard Medical School, Dana Farber Cancer Institute, 50 Binney Street, Boston, MA 02115, USA.

BACKGROUND:: NO is a free radical gas with manifold physiologic functions primarily as a biologic messenger. Recently we reported the presence of NO in freshly secreted human saliva. We report here a significant reduction of salivary NO production in current smokers compared to non-smokers.

PATIENTS AND METHODS:: Saliva was collected from smokers (27 donors) and non-smokers (21) after rinsing the mouth with an antiseptic. Freshly secreted saliva, about 200–300 µl, was collected within the first 30–60 seconds after mouth rinsing. NO was assayed using the Griess reagent which measures its byproduct NO2. The values thus obtained were statistically analysed using the Wilcoxon test.

RESULTS:: Our studies indicate significantly decreased NO levels as measured by its product NO2 in freshly secreted saliva in smokers compared to non-smokers (p = 0.0042). The median NO2 level in smokers was 64.85 µM, in non-smokers 194.45 µM, respectively.

CONCLUSIONS:: The role of salivary NO in normal physiology is as yet unknown, however, the finding of reduced salivary NO levels in smokers suggests a potential role in the pathogenesis of smoking related morbidity of the upper aero-digestive tracts.

nitric oxide, saliva, smoking


Add to CiteULike CiteULike   Add to Connotea Connotea   Add to Del.icio.us Del.icio.us    What's this?


This article has been cited by other articles:


Home page
 HypertensionHome page
N. Jeerooburkhan, L. C. Jones, S. Bujac, J. A. Cooper, G. J. Miller, P. Vallance, S. E. Humphries, and A. D. Hingorani
Genetic and Environmental Determinants of Plasma Nitrogen Oxides and Risk of Ischemic Heart Disease
Hypertension, November 1, 2001; 38(5): 1054 - 1061.
[Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]


Disclaimer: Please note that abstracts for content published before 1996 were created through digital scanning and may therefore not exactly replicate the text of the original print issues. All efforts have been made to ensure accuracy, but the Publisher will not be held responsible for any remaining inaccuracies. If you require any further clarification, please contact our Customer Services Department.