Anti-addiction medication

Drug addiction continues to plague vast numbers of people across the world, destroying and ending lives, while attempts to develop more effective pharmaceutical addiction treatments continue.
Vigabatrin is an anti-epilepsy medication approved by the Food and Drug Administration that has also been shown to be effective against addiction to cocaine, nicotine, methamphetamine, heroin and alcohol in animal models.

In humans, vigabatrin eliminates cocaine addiction in 28 percent of patients. It works by blocking an enzyme-aminobutyric acid (GABA) aminotransferase, which breaks down GABA. The result is higher levels of this neurotransmitter in the brain and diminished narcotic-activated release of dopamine. Long-term vigabatrin therapy can have serious side effects however, causing eye damage in up to 40 percent of those treated.

In previous work, the researchers designed a compound, CPP-115, that is 186 times more efficient in inactivating GABA aminotransferase than vigabatrin. In this study, they used computational molecular dynamics simulations of CPP-115 in complex with the enzyme to develop a new and improved agent with 10 times greater efficiency.

The drug should also be less likely to cause side effects, as it has fewer off-target activities in in vitro tests. In initial rat experiments, the new compound was far better at blocking dopamine release after a cocaine or nicotine stimulus than CPP-115.
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Vapers are vulnerable to pneumonia

The vapor from e-cigarettes seems to help pneumonia-causing bacteria stick to the cells that line the airways. The study included experiments with cells mice and humans. It showed that e-cigarette vapor had an effect similar to the reported effects of traditional cigarette smoke or particulate matter from fossil-fuel pollution, both of which are known to increase susceptibility to lung infection with pneumococcal bacteria.

Lead researcher, Jonathan Grigg, Professor of Paediatric Respiratory and Environmental Medicine at Queen Mary University of London, said the study indicates that vaping, especially in the long term, could raise the risk of bacterial lung infection. Pneumococcal bacteria can exist in human airways without causing illness. However, in some cases, they can invade the lining cells causing pneumonia or septicaemia. Exposure to traditional cigarette smoke helps these bacteria stick to airway lining cells, increasing the risk of infection.

The research examined the effects of e-cigarette vapor on a molecule produced by the cells that line the airways, called platelet-activating factor receptor (PAFR). Previous research by Professor Grigg's group has shown that pneumococcal bacteria use PAFR to help them stick to airway cells, which in turn increases the ability of bacteria to invade body tissues and cause disease. Research has also shown that PAFR levels increase in response to smoking, passive smoking, pollution and welding fumes.

Researchers examined human nose lining cells in the lab. They exposed some cells to e-cigarette vapor, some containing nicotine and some without, while other cells were not exposed. Cells exposed to either nicotine-containing or nicotine-free vapor produced levels of PAFR that were three times higher. When researchers introduced pneumococcal bacteria to these cells, they found that exposure to either nicotine-containing or nicotine-free vapor doubled the amount of bacteria that stuck to airway cells.

They tested the effect of e-cigarette vapor in mice and found that inhaled exposure to e-cigarette vapor also increased levels of PAFR on airway lining cells and increased the number of pneumococcal bacteria in the respiratory tract after infection, making mice more susceptible to disease. The team studied PAFR levels in cells lining the nose of 17 people. Of these, ten were regular users of nicotine-containing e-cigarettes, one used nicotine-free e-cigarettes, and six were not vapers.

First, PAFR levels in the airways of all 17 volunteers were measured. Then, vapers were asked to take at least ten puffs on their e-cigarettes over five minutes. One hour after vaping, PAFR levels on airway cells increased three-fold. The result shows that vaping makes the airways more vulnerable to bacteria sticking to airway lining cells. If this occurs when a vaper gets exposed to the pneumococcal bacterium, this could increase the risk of infection.
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Nicotine in E-cigarettes may cause cancer

The nicotine in e-cigarettes seems to damage DNA in ways that may increase cancer risk, the damage was seen both to DNA and its ability to repair itself, making cells more likely to mutate and develop into cancer, said lead researcher Moon-shong Tang, a professor of environmental medicine at New York University School of Medicine.

Reseachers exposed laboratory mice to e-cigarette vapor, which contains both nicotine and liquid solvents. They also exposed mice to the nicotine and the solvents separately. The vapors were produced using 4.2 volts of electricity, at or below the level at which most commercial e-cigarettes function.

Prior studies have shown that e-liquid heated using higher levels of electricity could produce harmful chemicals. This research team wanted to investigate the risk posed to people using a typical e-cigarette. They found the solvent alone does not cause DNA damage, nicotine with e-cigarette solvent caused the same damage as nicotine alone. The researchers also exposed cultured human lung and bladder cells to nicotine, and found the same effects-DNA damage and suppressed DNA repair.
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Effects of smoking on facial beauty

The latest evidence shows that smoking actually makes you less attractive to the opposite sex. Telltale wrinkles from puffing on a cigarette may be to blame for people judging non-smokers to be better-looking.This was the result of a study asking people to pick the most attractive of twins where one smoked and the other did not. Men found female non-smokers the most attractive in two-thirds of cases, while women chose non-smoking men as the most attractive.

Smoking can speed up the normal ageing, even after only a decade. Nicotine causes narrowing of the blood vessels in the outermost layers of the skin, while the chemicals in tobacco smoke damage collagen and elastin, fibres which give the skin its elasticity. The wrinkles this causes are added to by facial expressions made when smoking- such as pursing the lips when inhaling or squinting to keep smoke out of your eyes.

To test if smokers did look worse, the researchers asked more than people to pick the smoker and non-smoker from sets of twins. After finding smokers were easily identified, they created prototype pictures to make sure the twins’ facial expressions or poses could not alter the results. Using these images, tweaked by a computer to standardise how smokers and non-smokers looked, they asked which people found ‘more attractive’. The results show men and women both found the opposite sex more attractive when they did not smoke. But women also judged other females who did not smoke as more beautiful.
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Vaping not better than smoking before surgery

Despite being perceived as a healthier alternative to tobacco cigarettes, vaping liquid contains nicotine, which may significantly increase the risk for complications related to surgery and anesthesia, according to the American Association of Nurse Anesthetists AANA. The AANA is supporting this effort by urging individuals not to vape or smoke before surgery.

Most e-cigarettes contain nicotine, which can cause addiction.The nicotine found in vapes and tobacco results in poor wound healing, increases anesthesia risk, and may lead to a host of other potential complications for surgery patients. Despite being perceived as a better alternative to tobacco cigarettes, vaping liquid contains nicotine, which significantly increases the risk for complications during and after surgery.

 It's common knowledge that patients should quit smoking cigarettes at least a few weeks before and after surgery, vaping is not good as well. Nicotine can lower the effectiveness of certain medications or interfere with the way the way drugs work; it can also impact healing and lead to infection and greater discomfort after surgery.
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E-cigarette leads to craving for tobacco cigarettes

Electronic cigarettes with higher levels of nicotine can be a gateway to tobacco use, researchers compared the nicotine concentration in e-cigarettes to smoking behavior in e-cigarette smokers.

They discovered that half of e-cigarettes smokers with high levels of nicotine will smoke tobacco cigarettes six months later. The study warns about the difficulty in distinguishing levels of nicotine in e-cigarettes due to mislabeling, which can lead to dependency on tobacco products.

Nicotine has mood-elevating and addictive effects, smoking e-cigarettes with stronger nicotine concentrations may be less willing to stop vaping and be more inclined to use other nicotine products, like conventional cigarettes.

The nicotine amounts in e-cigarettes can be divided into four categories: none, low (1-5mg/ml of nicotine), medium (6-17mg/ml of nicotine) and high (18mg/ml or more of nicotine).
Smoking e-cigarette can leads to smoking of tobacco cigarettes after six months.

Nicotine is addictive and may affect the brain development by increasing the risk of attention problems and depression. Smoking-related diseases caused by tobacco use are heart problems and cancers.
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E-cigarette with nicotine changes adrenaline in nonsmokers heart

Healthy nonsmokers experienced increased adrenaline levels in their heart after taking one electronic cigarette with nicotine but there were no increased adrenaline levels when the study subjects used a nicotine-free or empty e-cigarette.

Unlike cigarettes, e-cigarette have no combustion or tobacco. Instead, these electronic, handheld devices deliver nicotine with flavoring and other chemicals in a vapor instead of smoke.
E-cigarettes produce fewer carcinogens than tar of tobacco cigarette smoke, they also produce nicotine.

E-cigarette users have elevated sympathetic nerve activity which increases adrenaline directed to the heart and are more susceptible to oxidative stress. Researchers used heart rate variability obtained from a prolonged, non-invasive heart rhythm recording. Heart rate variability is calculated from the degree of variability in the time between heartbeats.

This variability may be indicative of the amount of adrenaline on the heart.
heart rate variability test to link increased adrenaline activity in the heart with increased cardiac risk. People with known heart disease and people without known heart disease who have this pattern of high adrenaline levels in the heart have increased risk of death.

In the first study to separate the nicotine from the non-nicotine components when looking at the heart impact of e-cigarettes on humans, researchers studied healthy adults who were not smoking. Researchers measured cardiac adrenaline activity by assessing heart rate variability and oxidative stress in blood samples by measuring the enzyme plasma paraoxonase PON1.

They discovered that exposure to e-cigarettes with nicotine, but not e-cigarettes without nicotine, led to increased adrenaline levels to the heart, as indicated by abnormal heart rate variability. Acute electronic cigarette use with nicotine increases cardiac adrenaline levels. And it's in the same pattern that is associated with increased cardiac risk in patients who have known cardiac disease and even in patients without known cardiac disease.
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Nicotine in e-cigarette causes high blood pressure

Nicotine is a nitrogen-containing chemical, which is made by different types of plants, including the tobacco plant. E-cigarettes contain nicotine, increase blood pressure and cause heart disease.

Arterial stiffness is associated with       e-cigarette because of nicotine. Regular vaping with nicotine liquids or being exposed to other people’s vapours could cause damage to blood circulation.

Stiffer arteries make it harder for the heart to pump blood round the body, this increases strain on the heart and increases the risk of damage to the heart muscle.

The condition is associated with high blood pressure, coronary artery disease, stroke, heart failure and atrial fibrillation. Exposure to active and passive cigarette smoking causes a permanent increase in arterial stiffness.
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How to detoxify lungs

Tobacco smoking is the major cause of lung disease, other causes are air pollution, dusts and lower respiratory infections.

Lungs are constantly exposed to killer pollutants and microbes that get deposited from the air inhaled from the atmosphere.

Smoking changes pink lungs into black, regular detoxification of lungs can reverse the colour and keeps the lungs healthy. Lungs can be detoxify by:

Putting end to smoking and exposure to smoke, nicotine and tobacco smoke can compromise lungs function and increase the risk of lung cancer.

Engaging in breathing exercises that promote deep breathing can detoxify the lungs. The exercise increases blood flow to the lungs.

Drinking enough water, ginger juice carrot juice and lemon juice supply blood to the lungs, this prevents bacteria infections.
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E-cigarette as harmful as tobacco cigarette

Electronic cigarettes are battery-powered devices that heat up liquid and turn it into an aerosol vapor that can be inhaled.

E-cigarettes are loaded with a nicotine-based liquid are potentially as harmful as unfiltered cigarettes when it comes to causing DNA damage.

The researchers also found that vapor from non-nicotine e-cigarettes caused as much DNA damage as filtered cigarettes, due to chemical additives present in e-cigarette vapors. Cellular
mutations caused by DNA damage can cause cancer.

The amount of vapor the user inhales will determine the level of DNA damage e-cigarette can cause.

       
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