Nicotine 1

Question 0

What are the percentage of men and women that smoke globally?

Answer 0

47% men 12% women

Question 1

Explain the process that occurs when someone smokes

Answer 1

1. Inhale smoke containing nicotine
2. Carried into lungs
3. Absorbed into pulmonary venous circulation
4. Moves to brain
5. Nicotine binds to and activates nicotinic Ach receptors leading to reward

Question 2

How many cigarettes are consumed daily?

Answer 2

15 billion

Question 3

How many deaths occur form smoking per year?

Answer 3

5.4 million (9% all deaths)

Question 4

What are the smoking trends in developing vs industrialized nations?

Answer 4

Developing is increasing, industrialized is decreasing smoking

Question 5

By 2020 what percentage of smokers will be in developing countries?

Answer 5

85%

Question 6

What population of Canadians smoke?

Answer 6

19%

Numbers are decreasing

Question 7

What plants can tobacco be obtained from?

Answer 7

• Nicotina rustica and Nicotina tabacum

Most North American products are from tabacum species

Question 8

What is the nicotine content in a cured leaf of tabacum species?

Answer 8

1-3%

Question 9

What is the tobacco content from the rustica species of tobacco

Answer 9

6-9%

Question 10

How many tons of tobacco are harvested and processed each year globally?

Answer 10

7 million tons

Question 11

Why is Nicotina tobacum predominate in North America?

Answer 11

Because it is easier to grow in the climate

Question 12

What is in tobacco?

Answer 12

• nicotine: neurotoxin and addictive substance
• carotenoids: gives pigment
• compounds produced during curing(drying) process
• up to 599 compounds added during processing
• 4000 carcinogenic compounds produced during burning

Question 13

What are some intentional additives in cigarettes, why are they added?

Answer 13

Additives added for:

• flavour
• modifying burn rates
• ability to release nicotine

Question 14

What are some of the consequences of intentional additives?

Answer 14

• can form carcinogenic compounds when burned

- simple sugars can be converted to acetaldehydes when burned

Question 15

What were the results when young rats specifically self administered nicotine?

Answer 15

Rats will triple nico&ne self-administra&on if acetaldehyde is also given at much lower levels than seen with drinkers – only occurs in young rats

Question 16

What are the effects of acetaldehydes?

Answer 16

Thought to perhaps inhibit monoamine oxidases and boost neurotransmiFer levels

Question 17

How are some unintentional additives incorporated into cigarettes and what are they?

Answer 17

 from growing, handling and processing
 conveyor belt fragments, insect parts, pes&cide, herbicide, heavy metals, bacterial toxins, mold toxins, radioac&ve elements from the soil

Question 18

Apatite is an unintentional additives, why is it present and what are the consequences?

Answer 18

 Often fertilized with a mineral called apa&te to starve the plants of nitrogen in order to impart a particular flavour
 However apa&te contains radium and radioactive isotopes of lead and polonium

Question 19

What is curing?

Answer 19

 Curing is a drying process that occurs a^er the leaves are harvested and gives the leaves certain flavour characteris&cs
 During the curing process, starches are broken down into more simple sugars which then modify proteins
 This glyca&on of protein adds flavour, but also produces carcinogens

Question 20

What do carotenoids do?

Answer 20

carotenoids slowly oxidize and can produce aroma&c chemicals that give the tobacco “smoothness” when smoked

Question 21

What are the different types of curing?

Answer 21

There are different types of curing – sun-cured, fire-cured and air-cured (less carcinogenic due to less heat) and each produces different amounts of these products and thus different tobacco characteristics

Question 22

Why does curing take place?

Answer 22

There is too much moisture in the tobacco plant to just uproot and smoke thus curing tries to make leaves dry enough to be combustible

Question 23

Explanation some differences between a cigar and cigarette?

Answer 23

• cigarette usually has filter to trap tar and carcinogens
• premium cigars are very large (8x larger than cigarettes as well as 8x more nicotine produced therefore increased likelihood of inhaling bad things)

Question 24

What is tar?

Answer 24

A sticky substance generated from burning organic matter | Non filtered cigarettes produce more tar

Question 25

What is smokeless tobacco?

Answer 25

 some claim it to be safer than smoking  amount of nico&ne absorbed is 3-4 &mes greater than cigareFes, but the process is slow: absorbed into mucous lining of cheek  At least 28 carcinogens iden&fied in chewing tobacco  leads to addic&on  increased risk of oral cancers

Question 26

Explain nicotine s contribution to addiction and cancer

Answer 26

 facilitates addiction  mimics acetylcholine at acetylcholine receptors – agonist Binds to the same site on the receptor as acetylcholine  Has potential to cause cancer, but not the main culprit  Charged at low pHs tar, carbon monoxide, metals,hydrocarbons are linked to cancer, heart disease etc

Question 27

Explain why there are some doubts on nicotines role in addiction

Answer 27

 de-nicotinized cigarettes can be as rewarding and can reduce craving and withdrawal  humans rarely show preference for nicotine over placebo  poor results with nicotine replacement therapy  Pure nicotine given IV has not been convincingly shown to be reinforcing in human volunteers  There is no market for pure nicotine The addiction is said to be more psychological

Question 28

What is the significance of nicotine and changes to PH?

Answer 28

 nicotine’s charge depends on pH (weak base)  diprotonated form does not occur when smoking  free-base is volatile - more easily released from tobacco and increases ease of absorption  linked with higher rates of “adoption"(people s,one and keep smoking)

Question 29

What is the significance of freebase nicotine?

Answer 29

Produces the “kick” or “impact” also known as “throat catch,” “throat hit” and “throat grip.”  they increased pH of smoke by introducing ammonia and saw a corresponding increase in sales

Question 30

What are the two components to smoke?

Answer 30

The particular phase and the gaseous phase

Question 31

What is the particular phase?

Answer 31

 contains volatile and non-volatile nicotine, water, tar (polycyclic aroma&c hydrocarbons (benzo[a]pyrene), metals, radioactive compounds)

Question 32

What's the gaseous phase?

Answer 32

 contains volatile nicotine, carbon monoxide, carbon dioxide, nitrogen oxide, vola&le nitrosamines, ammonia, nitrites, sulfur, alcohols, ketones, aldehydes, volatile hydrocarbons

Question 33

How much pure nicotine is needed to kill a healthy adult

Answer 33

60mg: a few drops

Question 34

How much nicotine does a cigarette contain?

Answer 34

.5-2g Note however that smokers only get a fraction of this due to sides stream smoke, pyrolysis (decomposition), filter etc

Question 35

Describe the patterns of smoking

Answer 35

most people smoke the same way:  one or two puffs/minute  each lasts two seconds  delivers 1- 2 micrograms per kilogram body weight - seems like the op&mum for s&mula&on of brain  pack a day - one hundred to two hundred puffs

Question 36

What route of administration is fastest for nicotine?

Answer 36

Cigarette smoking: nicotine enters bran within 10s

Question 37

What occurs when there is a mutation in the CYP2A6 enzyme

Answer 37

mutation in CYP2A6 that slows metabolism results in lower tobacco use, easier time quitting

Question 38

Want is the half life of nicotine?

Answer 38

2hrs

Question 39

Describe the metabolism of nicotine by CYP2A6, CYP2B6 and aldehyde oxidase

Answer 39

The transform nicotine not containing which has a half life f 16hrs 80% of nicotine take this route Corinne is tested as a marker for direct and second hand smoking

Question 40

Describe the metabolism of nicotine by monooxygenase

Answer 40

Transforms nicotine into nicotine-1-N-oxide | 4-7% of nicotine take this route

Question 41

Why was it difficult to show smoking in animal models

Answer 41

 for many years, it was difficult to show self-administra&on in animals  because they can’t smoke?  protocol problems? - eg slow infusion of nicotine  not a robust reinforcer in some animals - argument against addiction?

Question 42

What is the significance of the findings in the 2007 animal self administration study?

Answer 42

 2007 - first convincing primate study  trick was to pair nicotine with another stimuli - exposure to a light for 2 sec - acts as a cue  in some, seeing the light was a reinforcer long after nico&ne was removed  argument that things associated with smoking (coffee, donuts, etc) are just as important in reinforcing behaviour

Question 43

Explain the 24hr nicotine level trends

Answer 43

 peak at the end of the smoking day  but adding new drug every hour, get accumulation - new drug added before all of previous drug removed  receptors resensitize overnight

Question 44

Describe the psychological effects of smoking

Answer 44

 many smokers can’t describe why they enjoy it - say they like the taste of the smoke in their mouth and lungs  In experimental situations, if smokers’ throats are anesthetized, there is a decrease in pleasure from cigarettes  some report euphoric rush, esp. with first cigarettes of the day - resensitized receptors  comparable to exposure to morphine, amphetamine  reduces negative states - boredom, anxiety  also some say gives stimulatory effect

Question 45

Explain the claim that nicotine is a cognitive enhancer

Answer 45

 nicotine causes measurable increases in arousal and cognitive function in animals and humans  seen as increased cor&cal ac&vity, decreased motor reaction time and improved memory recall  nicotine and nicotine-like drugs in trials as treatment for Alzheimer’s-induced decreases in cognition