Platelet function after cigarette smoking in relation to nicotine and carbon monoxide

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Abstract
In 2 sets of experiments involving 10 smokers, the acute effect of inhaling smoke was followed from cigarettes with 5 different nicotine yields (0.07-1.44 mg) on platelet function in relation to HbCo and nicotine blood levels. Blood was drawn from fasted subjects who had not smoked for 10 h before and after smoking 1 cigarette. Depending on the cigarette, increase in platelet aggregation to thrombin, ADP, collagen and epinephrine 10 min after smoking ranged from 0%-approximately 80% for the cigarettes with higher nicotine yields. Blood nicotine levels increased from 112-644%. Clotting activity of platelet-rich plasma (PRP) and platelets rose by 16% with cigarettes with the highest nicotine contents. Platelet activity correlated with blood nicotine levels but not with HbCo levels. Nicotine diluted in saline solution and added in vitro to PRP from 6 other subjects 2 min before the aggregation or clotting test at levels after smoking (10 and 20 ng/ml) induced a rise in platelet reactivity of the same order as that after smoking cigarettes. In some cigarettes, nornicotine and substances contained in tar apparently contribute to the effect of cigarette smoking on platelets.