The purpose of this study was to find the hematologic differences among smokers, exsmokers, and nonsmokers, and to determine the effects of beta-carotene, canthaxanthin, and alpha-tocopherol on the lipid peroxidation of erythrocytes exposed either to cigarette smoking or to chemically induced oxidation. / Thirty heavy smokers, 30 nonsmokers, age and sex matched, and 25 exsmokers participated in this study. Exsmokers in this study ceased smoking but used nicotine patches (22 mg/day) for 30 days. / No significant differences in age, sex, and height were shown. A significant difference in weight between nonsmokers and exsmokers was found (p $<$ 0.05). Cigarette smokers in this study had a higher concentration of total hemoglobin and more autoxidation of oxyhemoglobin to methemoglobin than nonsmokers which suggests that smokers may have high oxidative stress of red blood cells. However, the only significant difference found was in the concentration of oxyhemoglobin (p $<$ 0.05), not in total hemoglobin and methemoglobin. / Antioxidant activities of carotenoids and alpha-tocopherol were determined by measuring the concentration of malondialdehyde (MDA nmol/100 ml) and percent hemolysis of erythrocytes, in vitro methods. The erythrocytes of cigarette smokers had a significantly higher MDA concentration than the erythrocytes of nonsmokers, with or without induced oxidation. After 30 days of smoking cessation, the MDA concentration, not percent hemolysis, was decreased, but it was not statistically significant. / The addition of antioxidants to erythrocytes significantly decreased MDA concentration (p $<$ 0.05). When oxidation was induced by t-butylhydroperoxide canthaxanthin showed the highest antioxidant activity. In cigarette smokers, carotenoids appeared to be more effective antioxidants than alpha-tocopherol in reducing MDA formation in red blood cells. / In contrast to the results of the TBA test, no difference in percent hemolysis between smokers and nonsmokers was shown without induced oxidation. Carotenoids used in this study appeared to inhibit percent hemolysis of erythrocytes (p $<$ 0.05) while the effect of alpha-tocopherol on hemolysis was not statistically significant. / Source: Dissertation Abstracts International, Volume: 55-09, Section: B, page: 3827. / Major Professor: Natholyn D. Harris. / Thesis (Ph.D.)--The Florida State University, 1994.
| Identifer | oai:union.ndltd.org:fsu.edu/oai:fsu.digital.flvc.org:fsu_77270 |
| Contributors | Ha, Aewha., Florida State University |
| Source Sets | Florida State University |
| Language | English |
| Detected Language | English |
| Type | Text |
| Format | 161 p. |
| Rights | On campus use only. |
| Relation | Dissertation Abstracts International |
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