Scans Show Organ Damage from Smoking

They reveal reduced levels of key enzymes in kidneys, heart, lung and spleen

MONDAY, Sept. 8, 2003 (HealthDayNews) -- The effects of smoking on many of the body's organs are revealed in a study published online this week by the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.

For the study, researchers at the U.S. Department of Energy's Brookhaven National Laboratory used radiotracers -- radioactively "tagged" molecules designed to bind to specific biochemicals, which can be tracked using positron emission tomography (PET) scans.

The researchers found evidence of reduced levels of the enzyme monoamine oxidase B (MAO B) in the kidneys, heart, lungs and spleen of smokers. MAO B is a crucial enzyme that breaks down neurotransmitters and dietary amines. Too much or too little MAO B can adversely affect a person's health and even personality.

"When we think about smoking and smoking toxicity, we usually think of the lungs. Here we see a very marked effect of smoking on one of the major enzymes in the body, and we see that this effect extends far beyond the lungs," researcher Joanna Fowler says in a news release.

Previous research by Fowler and her colleagues found reduced levels of MAO B in the brains of smokers.

"Since smoking exposes the entire body to the tobacco compounds that inhibit MAO B, we believed it had the potential to limit MAO B activity throughout the body," Fowler says.

She says the health consequences of these reduced MAO B levels need to be studied in greater detail.

More information

Here's where you can learn more about the health dangers of smoking.

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