Ascorbic acid and the effect of cigarette smoke on tissues--a preliminary report.

BACKGROUND

Smoke from the average cigarette contains chemicals, which are highly toxic, causing chronic airways diseases in smokers as well as non-smokers exposed to environmental tobacco smoke (ETS). It is associated with an increased risk of developing asthma, pneumonia, bronchitis and cancer.

OBJECTIVE

To investigate the effect of ascorbic acid on the degenerative effect of passive cigarette smoke on some vital organs.

METHODS

A total of 16 male rabbits divided into four groups (A, B, C, D) of 4 rabbits each, were used. Group A rabbits were exposed to passive cigarette smoke for 45-60 minutes daily; group B was treated similarly but also had 5 mg/g body weight of ascorbic acid daily. Group C had ascorbic acid only and Group D was the untreated control group. After six weeks of the above treatment, the animals were sacrificed for histological investigation of some of their vital organs.

RESULTS

Tobacco smoke had deleterious effects on the lungs, testes and kidneys; no significant changes were seen in the liver, brain and.heart. Ascorbic acid appeared to have some attenuating effect on inflammatory processes as observed in the lungs. Varying degrees of hypospermatogenesis were observed in the seminiferous tubules while the epididymis contained no spermatocytes in both groups A and B.

CONCLUSIONS

Ascorbic acid has some attenuating effect on inflammatory processes but it neither stops inflammation (as seen in the lungs) nor declining function (as signified by hypospermatogenesis in the testes). Therefore, it is doubtful that the long-term effects of tobacco smoke can be prevented by the use of ascorbic acid.