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Louis ED, Factor-Litvak P, Gerbin M, Jiang W, Zheng W. Blood harmane concentrations in 497 individuals relative to coffee, cigarettes, and food consumption on the morning of testing. J Toxicol 2011; 2011:628151. [PMID: 21776263 PMCID: PMC3135328 DOI: 10.1155/2011/628151] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/23/2010] [Revised: 02/11/2011] [Accepted: 02/16/2011] [Indexed: 12/14/2022] Open
Abstract
Harmane, a potent neurotoxin linked with several neurological disorders, is present in many foods, coffee, and cigarettes. We assessed whether morning food/coffee consumption and smoking were reflected in blood harmane concentrations (BHCs) we obtained in an epidemiologic sample (n = 497). Participants who smoked on the morning of phlebotomy had similar logBHCs to those who had not smoked (P = .57); there was no correlation between logBHCs and number of cigarettes (P = .59). Among the coffee drinkers, there was no correlation between number of cups and logBHCs (P = .98). Participants who had eaten on the morning of phlebotomy had similar logBHCs to those who had not (P = .49); logBHCs did not correlate with the time latency between last food consumption and phlebotomy (P = .74). BHCs in this sample of ~500 individuals did not covary with recent smoking, coffee, or food consumption, suggesting that our inability to withhold these exposures on the morning of phlebotomy was not reflected in the BHCs we measured.
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Affiliation(s)
- Elan D. Louis
- GH Sergievsky Center, College of Physicians and Surgeons, Columbia University, Unit 198, Neurological Institute, 710 West 168th Street, New York, NY 10032-2699, USA
- Department of Neurology, College of Physicians and Surgeons, Columbia University, New York, NY 10027-6900, USA
- Department of Epidemiology, Mailman School of Public Health, Columbia University, New York, NY 10032-3727, USA
- Taub Institute for Research on Alzheimer's Disease and the Aging Brain, College of Physicians and Surgeons, Columbia University, New York, NY 10032, USA
| | - Pam Factor-Litvak
- Department of Epidemiology, Mailman School of Public Health, Columbia University, New York, NY 10032-3727, USA
| | - Marina Gerbin
- GH Sergievsky Center, College of Physicians and Surgeons, Columbia University, Unit 198, Neurological Institute, 710 West 168th Street, New York, NY 10032-2699, USA
| | - Wendy Jiang
- School of Health Sciences, Purdue University, West Lafayette, IN 47907-2051, USA
| | - Wei Zheng
- School of Health Sciences, Purdue University, West Lafayette, IN 47907-2051, USA
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Abstract
The aromatic beta-carbolines norharman and harman have been implicated in a number of human diseases including Parkinson's disease, tremor, addiction and cancer. It has been shown that these compounds are normal body constituents formed endogenously but external sources have been identified. Here, we summarise literature data on levels of norharman and harman in fried meat and fish, meat extracts, alcoholic drinks, and coffee brews. Other sources include edible and medicinal plants but tobacco smoke has been identified as a major source. Exposure levels from these different dietary sources are estimated to a maximum of 4 microg norharman per kg body weight (bw) per day and 1 microg harman per kg bw per day. Exposure via tobacco smoke depends on smoking habits and type of cigarettes but can be estimated to 1.1 microg/kg bw for norharman and 0.6 microg/kg bw for harman per package of cigarettes smoked. Studies on toxicokinetics indicate that inhalative exposure leads to a rapid increase in plasma levels and high bioavailability of norharman and harman. Oral bioavailability is lower but there are indications that sublingual absorption may increase dietary uptake of beta-carbolines. Endogenous formation can be estimated to be 50-100 ng/kg bw per day for norharman and about 20 ng/kg bw per day for harman but these rates may increase with high intake of precursors. Biomarker studies on plasma levels of beta-carbolines reported on elevated levels of norharman, harman or both in diseased patients, alcoholics and following tobacco smoking or consumption of beta-carboline-containing food. Cigarette smoking has been identified as major influence but dietary exposure may contribute to exposure.
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Affiliation(s)
- W Pfau
- Umweltmedizin Hamburg eV and Institute of Experimental and Clinical Toxicology, Hamburg University, Vogt-Kölln-Strasse 30, 22527 Hamburg, Germany.
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