The effects of nicotine on the circulation and metabolism after cigarette smoking with reference to the plasma levels of nicotine and COHb (author's transl)]

The effects after smoking cigarettes with different nicotine content (1.5 mg and 0.08 mg nicotine/cigarette) were investigated in 6 healthy habitual smokers. Carboxyhemoglobin (COHb) and plasma nicotine levels were determined at the same time as circulatory parameters, heart rate and blood pressure together with metabolic parameters like blood sugar, lactate, free fatty acids and plasma dopamine-beta-hydroxylase (DBH) and plasma cortisol. With the exception of COHb the parameters investigated were shown to be dependent on the nicotine levels. For blood pressure, heart rate and lactate the peaks appeared simultaneously with the maximum nicotine levels, whereas for DBH, cortisol, blood sugar and the free fatty acids there was a delayed reaction in comparison with the nicotine levels. The parameters investigated are not affected by COHb with levels up to 5.6 +/- 0.5%. These results show that after cigarette smoking, nicotine causes considerable changes in the circulation and metabolism.