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76th Annual Meeting of the German Society of Oto-Rhino-Laryngology, Head and Neck Surgery

German Society of Oto-Rhino-Laryngology, Head and Neck Surgery

04.05. - 08.05.2005, Erfurt

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Nicotine and reflux

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  • corresponding author Andrea W. Sassen - Department of Otolaryngology – Head and Neck Surgery, University of Regensburg, Germany
  • Barbara Goricnik - Department of Otolaryngology – Head and Neck Surgery, University of Regensburg, Germany
  • Ulrich A. Harréus - Klinisch Experimentelle Onkologie, Department of Otolaryngology – Head and Neck Surgery, Ludwig-Maximilians-University Munich, Germany
  • Norbert H. Kleinsasser - Department of Otolaryngology – Head and Neck Surgery, University of Regensburg, Germany

Deutsche Gesellschaft für Hals-Nasen-Ohren-Heilkunde, Kopf- und Hals-Chirurgie. 76. Jahresversammlung der Deutschen Gesellschaft für Hals-Nasen-Ohren-Heilkunde, Kopf- und Hals-Chirurgie e.V.. Erfurt, 04.-08.05.2005. Düsseldorf, Köln: German Medical Science; 2005. Doc05hno637

The electronic version of this article is the complete one and can be found online at: http://www.egms.de/en/meetings/hno2005/05hno169.shtml

Published: September 22, 2005

© 2005 Sassen et al.
This is an Open Access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/3.0/deed.en). You are free: to Share – to copy, distribute and transmit the work, provided the original author and source are credited.

Outline

Text

The alkaloid nicotine is the addictive component of tobacco smoke. The aim of this study is the investigation of the possible alteration of the carcinogenic potential of nicotine as a result of pH-conditions being found in the human aerodigestive tract with reflux of gastric acid.

Enzymatically isolated human cells of the Tonsilla palatina were incubated for 1 hour with pH-values from 4.3, 4.7, 5, 5.5, 6, 7, 7.5 up to 8.3 both without and with 16 mM nicotine. Cytotoxic effects were quantified with the help of the trypan blue exclusion test. DNA-migration due to single strand breaks, alkali labile and incomplete excision repair sites were demonstrated with the single-cell microgel electrophoresis (Comet) assay.

Lymphatic tissue of the palatine tonsils showed pH-dependency of DNA-migration. A lower medium pH-value led to a higher DNA-migration distance in the electric field. A concomitant exposure to nicotine showed more pronounced effects with low pH-values.

In conclusion, enforced mutagenic effects of this alkaloid combined with acidic pH-conditions may focus on a possible mechanism of cancer induction in reflux patients.