ABSTRACT
To examine the effect of smoking on serum xanthine oxidase, malondialdehyde, alpha- tocopherol and ascorbic acid levels in healthy adult male subjects. This cross-sectional comparative study was carried out at Isra University Hyderabad from July 2012 to December 2012. One hundred and twenty apparently healthy adult male subjects [60 smokers and 60 non-smokers] included in present study, were recruited from Jaindal kot, a small village located midway between Hyderabad and Matiari. Serum samples from smokers and non-smokers were analyzed for xanthine oxidase and malondialdehyde levels by standard kit methods, while for ascorbic acid and alpha- tocopherol by spectrophotometric methods. The mean xanthine oxidase and malondialdehyde levels measured in healthy smokers were 0.30 +/- 0.05 mg/dl and 37.50 +/- 4.05 micromoles/l respectively as against 0.25 +/- 0.04 mg/dl and 19.86 +/- 2.21micromoles/l in non-smokers. Both xanthine oxidase and malondialdehyde levels were significantly [p<0.001] raised in healthy smokers than in non-smokers. Likewise, mean vitamin E and vitamin C levels were respectively 0.69 +/- 0.37 mg/dl and 0.80 +/- 0.16 mg/dl in healthy smokers compared to 1.14 +/- 0.43 mg/dl and 1.22 +/- 0.29 mg/dl in non-smokers. The concentrations of both these vitamins were significantly [p<0.001] lower in smokers than in non-smokers. The results of present study demonstrate that smoking had significantly increased xanthine oxidase and malondialdehyde levels and decreased vitamins C and E [antioxidants] levels. These findings suggest that smokers have to take additional amounts of vitamins C and E in order to avoid deleterious effects of smoking on their health