Association between Fathers’ Use of Heated Tobacco Products and Urinary Cotinine Concentrations in Their Spouses and Children

Development and validation of a method for preparing heated tobacco product aerosol condensate (HTPAC) for large-scale toxicity data acquisition

A method of preparing heated tobacco product aerosol condensate (HTPAC) was developed to expedite HTP toxicity evaluation, and the effectiveness was assessed. To prepare HTPAC, HTP aerosol was generated and collected using a Cambridge filter (particulate phase) and Dulbecco's phosphate buffered saline (DPBS; gaseous phase). The aerosol collected on the Cambridge filter was extracted using methanol, which was thereafter removed by nitrogen purging. The HTP aerosol residue was mixed with DPBS loaded with the collected HTP vapor, ultimately yielding HTPAC. Nicotine and formaldehyde, key harmful compounds in HTP aerosol, were detected in HTPAC (901 ± 224 and 22.2 ± 3.90 µg stick-1, respectively, comparable to those in HTP aerosol (990-1350 (nicotine) and 2.33-21.9 µg stick-1 (formaldehyde)). Propylene glycol and vegetable glycerin, which influence the amount of HTP aerosol, were detected at similar levels in HTPAC and HTP aerosol (propylene glycol = 616 ± 57.1 (HTPAC) and 320-630 µg stick-1 (aerosol) and vegetable glycerin = 2418 ± 224 (HTPAC) and 1667-4000 µg stick-1 (aerosol)). Known components of HTP aerosol (hydroxyacetone, acetic acid, triacetin, and 2-furanmethanol) were also detected in HTPAC. Consequently, HTPAC offers an effective method for concentrating harmful compounds found in HTP aerosols. This, in turn, facilitates comprehensive toxicity assessments, paving the way for guidelines ensuring the safe utilization of HTP.

Postprandial Fatty Acid Metabolism with Coconut Oil in Young Females: A Randomized, Single-blind, Cross-over Trial

BACKGROUND

Approximately 84% of fatty acids contained in coconut oil (CO) are saturated fatty acids (SFA), and approximately 47% of the SFA are lauric acid with 12 carbon atoms. Lauric acid carbon chain length is intermediate between medium and long chain fatty acids. We examined how CO acts on lipid-related substances in the blood to determine whether its properties were similar to medium-chain fatty acids (MCFA) or long-chain fatty acids (LCFA).

METHODS

This is a randomized controlled single-blind crossover study. 15 females were enrolled, using three test meals containing 30-g each of three different oils: CO (CO-meal), medium-chain triacylglycerol-oil (MCT-meal), and long-chain triacylglycerol-oil (LCT-meal). Blood samples were collected at fasted baseline and every 2 h for 8 h after the intake of each test meal.

RESULTS

Repeated measure analysis of variance (ANOVA) of the ketone bodies and triglyceride (TG) showed an interaction between time and the test meal (P < 0.01 and P < 0.001, respectively). In subsequent Tukey's honestly significant difference (HSD) test of the ketone bodies, statistically significant differences were observed between the CO-meal and the LCT-meal (P < 0.05) 83.8 (95% CI, 14.7,153.0) and between the MCT-meal and the LCT-meal (P < 0.05) 79.2 (95% CI, 10.0,148.4). The incremental area under the curve (iAUC) and maximum increase in very low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (VLDL-C) and intermediate-density lipoprotein cholesterol (IDL-C) were the lowest for CO-meal intakes.

CONCLUSIONS

The characteristics of lauric acid contained in coconut oil, including the kinetics of β-oxidation and effects on blood TG, were very similar to those of MCFA. Moreover, regarding the iAUC and peak increment, VLDL-C and IDL-C were the lowest with the CO-meal. These results suggest that the intake of CO after fasting does not increase the TG, VLDL-C, and IDL-C, and may help prevent dyslipidemia. This trial was registered at UMIN as UMIN000019959.

Indoor Exposure and Regional Inhaled Deposited Dose Rate during Smoking and Incense Stick Burning-The Jordanian Case as an Example for Eastern Mediterranean Conditions

Tobacco smoking and incense burning are commonly used in Jordanian microenvironments. While smoking in Jordan is prohibited inside closed spaces, incense burning remains uncontrolled. In this study, particle size distributions (diameter 0.01-25 µm) were measured and inhaled deposited dose rates were calculated during typical smoking and incense stick-burning scenarios inside a closed room, and the exposure was summarized in terms of number and mass concentrations of submicron (PN_Sub) and fine particles (PM_2.5). During cigarette smoking and incense stick-burning scenarios, the particle number concentrations exceeded 3 × 10⁵ cm^-3. They exceeded 5 × 10⁵ cm^-3 during shisha smoking. The emission rates were 1.9 × 10¹⁰, 6.8 × 10¹⁰, and 1.7 × 10¹⁰ particles/s, respectively, for incense, cigarettes, and shisha. That corresponded to about 7, 80, and 120 µg/s, respectively. Males received higher dose rates than females, with about 75% and 55% in the pulmonary/alveolar during walking and standing, respectively. The total dose rates were in the order of 10¹²-10¹³ #/h (10³-10⁴ µg/h), respectively, for PN_Sub and PM_2.5. The above reported concentrations, emissions rates, and dose rates are considered seriously high, recalling the fact that aerosols emitted during such scenarios consist of a vast range of toxicant compounds.

Agreement between nicotine metabolites in blood and self-reported smoking status: The Netherlands Epidemiology of Obesity study

•

Selfreported smoking status and nicotine metabolites information often agreed.

•

In none of never smokers, more than two nicotine metabolites were detected.

•

Two or more nicotine metabolites were present in all self-reported regular smokers.

•

Metabolic information differed between self-reported regular and occasional smokers.

Introduction

Self-report and nicotine detection are methods to measure smoking exposure and can both lead to misclassification. It is important to highlight discrepancies between these two methods in the context of epidemiological research.

Objective

The aim of this cross-sectional study is to assess the agreements between self-reported smoking status and nicotine metabolite detection.

Methods

Data of 599 participants from the Netherlands Epidemiology of Obesity study were used to compare serum metabolite levels of five nicotine metabolites (cotinine, hydroxy-cotinine, cotinine N-Oxide, norcotinine, 3-hydroxy-cotinine-glucuronide) between self-reported never smokers (n = 245), former smokers (n = 283) and current smokers (n = 71). We assessed whether metabolites were absent or present and used logistic regression to discriminate between current and never smokers based on nicotine metabolite information. A classification tree was derived to classify individuals into current smokers and non/former smokers based on metabolite information.

Results

In 94% of the self-reported current smokers, at least one metabolite was present, versus in 19% of the former smokers and in 10% of the never smokers. In none of the never smokers, cotinine-n-oxide, 3-hydroxy-cotinine-n-glucorinide or norcotinine was present, while at least one of these metabolites was detected in 68% of the self-reported current smokers. The classification tree classified 95% of the participants in accordance to their self-reported smoking status. All self-reported smokers who were classified as non-smokers according to the metabolite profile, had reported to be occasional smokers.

Conclusion

The agreement between self-reported smoking status and metabolite information was high. This indicates that self-reported smoking status is generally reliable.