Clinical pharmacology of tobacco alkaloids

Institution:	University of California, San Francisco
Investigator(s):	Peyton Jacob, Ph.D.
Award Cycle:	1998 (Cycle 7)	Grant #: 7RT-0104	Award: $439,882
Subject Area:	Nicotine Dependence
Award Type:	Research Project Awards

Abstracts

Initial Award Abstract

There is an urgent need to develop ways to measure human exposure to specific substances present in tobacco and tobacco smoke. The objective of this project is to develop methods for measuring exposure of smokers to the particulate phase ("tar") of cigarette smoke. Tar has been shown to contain many substances that cause disease, particularly cancer. Better ways to estimate intake of substances in tobacco and tobacco smoke would be useful in studies exploring relationships between exposure to particular toxins and development of disease in both smokers and nonsmokers, in assessing the outcome of programs for treating tobacco addiction, and in assessing the risks of potentially safer or non addictive tobacco products.

A major goal of this project is to develop methods for measuring concentrations of a substance called solanesol in biologic fluids (blood and urine). Due to its high concentration in and specificity for the particulate phase ("tar") of cigarette smoke, solanesol has been frequently used for determining the amount of tobacco smoke present in the environment. We will evaluate the proposal that measuring concentrations of solanesol in biologic fluids of smokers would be an excellent way to determine their exposure to cigarette tar.

It is anticipated that the methods developed by this project will be used to measure human exposure to tobacco tar from different types of cigarettes (as might be required by the FDA if it decides to implement a nicotine reduction strategy, which has been proposed to make cigarettes non addictive), to evaluate the health risks of new, potentially safer tobacco based products (such as R. J. Reynold's Eclipse, a product that heats rather than burns tobacco), to evaluate harm reduction in tobacco treatment programs (for example, in programs that seek to reduce health risks by reducing cigarette consumption in smokers who are unable to quit, perhaps in conjunction with nicotine maintenance therapy), and to assess risks of developing tobacco-related diseases in different populations of smokers.

Publications

Minor tobacco alkaloids as biomarkers for tobacco use: comparison of cigarettes, smokeless tobacco, cigar and pipe users
Periodical: American Journal of Public Health			Index Medicus:
Authors: Jacob P III, Shulgin AT, Yu L, Benowitz NL				ART
Yr: 1999	Vol: 89	Nbr:	Abs:	Pg: 731-736

Anabasine and anatabine levels in urine: biomarkers for tobacco use during nicotine replacement therapy.
Periodical: Cancer Epidemiology Biomarkers and Prevention			Index Medicus:
Authors: Jacob P, Hatsukami DK, Severson H, Hall S,Yu L, Benowitz NL				ART
Yr: 2002	Vol: 11	Nbr:	Abs:	Pg: 1668-1673

Minor tobacco alkaloids as biomarkers for tobacco use: comparison of cigarettes, smokeless tobacco, cigar and pipe users
Periodical: American Journal of Public Health			Index Medicus:
Authors: Jacob P III, Shulgin AT, Yu L, Benowitz NL				ART
Yr: 1999	Vol: 89	Nbr:	Abs:	Pg: 731-736

Anabasine and anatabine levels in urine: biomarkers for tobacco use during nicotine replacement therapy.
Periodical: Cancer Epidemiology Biomarkers and Prevention			Index Medicus:
Authors: Jacob P, Hatsukami DK, Severson H, Hall S,Yu L, Benowitz NL				ART
Yr: 2002	Vol: 11	Nbr:	Abs:	Pg: 1668-1673