Effect of combined tobacco and marijuana abuse on some liver, cardiac enzyme activities and serum testosterone level

ABSTRACT

Addiction is a worldwide problem of public health that has many dimensions. This problem is shared by developed and developing countries and in spite of the effort done to face this problem, it seems to be escalating allover the world. The objective of our study was to evaluate the biochemical effect of bhang abuse and smoking on cardiovascular system, liver and reproductive system as well. During this study, the biochemical parameters including lactate dehydrogenase [LDH], aspartate aminotransferase [AST] and alanine aminotransferase [ALT] enzyme activities were determined in serum. In addition, testosterone, follicle stimulating hormone levels were also determined in serum of controls, bhang abusers, combined bhang and nicotine abusers and smokers alone. Our results indicated a significant increase in lactate dehydrogenase and aspartate, alanine aminotransferases [AST, ALT] in all groups when compared with control group with the exception of AST and ALT activities showed no significant change in cigarette smoking group. In contrast, bhang and nicotine produced a significant decrease in testosterone and follicle stimulating hormone levels in all studied groups when compared with control group. The degree of change in these biochemical parameters was more strongly in response to combined bhang and cigarette smoking than everyone alone. However, our results along with other findings in the recent literature suggest that the obvious harmful effect of bhang abuse and smoking on cardiovascular system, liver and on fertility system