Effect of smoking on serum xanthine oxidase, malondialdehyde, ascorbic acid and α-tocopherol levels in healthy male subjects

Objective: to examine the effect of smoking on serum xanthine oxidase, malondialdehyde, α- tocopherol and ascorbic acid levels in healthy adult male subjects. methods: this cross-sectional comparative study was carried out at isra university hyderabad from july 2012 to december 2012. one hundred and twenty apparently healthy adult male subjects (60 smokers and 60 non-smokers) included in present study, were recruited from jaindal kot, a small village located midway between hyderabad and matiari. serum samples from smokers and non-smokers were analyzed for xanthine oxidase and malondialdehyde levels by standard kit methods, while for ascorbic acid and alphatocopherol by spectrophotometric methods. results: the mean xanthine oxidase and malondialdehyde levels measured in healthy smokers were 0.30±0.05 mg/dl and 37.50±4.05 μmoles/l respectively as against 0.25±0.04 mg/dl and 19.86±2.21μmoles/l in non-smokers. both xanthine oxidase and malondialdehyde levels were significantly (p<0.001) raised in healthy smokers than in non-smokers. likewise, mean vitamin e and vitamin c levels were respectively 0.69±0.37 mg/dl and 0.80±0.16 mg/dl in healthy smokers compared to 1.14±0.43 mg/dl and 1.22±0.29 mg/ dl in non-smokers. the concentrations of both these vitamins were significantly (p<0.001) lower in smokers than in non-smokers. conclusion: the results of present study demonstrate that smoking had significantly increased xanthine oxidase and malondialdehyde levels and decreased vitamins c and e (antioxidants) levels. these findings suggest that smokers have to take additional amounts of vitamins c and e in order to avoid deleterious effects of smoking on their health.