OBJECTIVES: To establish the GC-MS qualitative and quantitative analysis methods for the synthetic cannabinoids, its main matrix and additives in suspicious electronic cigarette (e-cigarette) oil samples. METHODS: The e-cigarette oil samples were analyzed by GC-MS after diluted with methanol. Synthetic cannabinoids, its main matrix and additives in e-cigarette oil samples were qualitatively analyzed by the characteristic fragment ions and retention time. The synthetic cannabinoids were quantitatively analyzed by using the selective ion monitoring mode. RESULTS: The linear range of each compound in GC-MS quantitative method was 0.025-1 mg/mL, the matrix recovery rate was 94%-103%, the intra-day precision relative standard deviations (RSD) was less than 2.5%, and inter-day precision RSD was less than 4.0%. Five indoles or indazole amide synthetic cannabinoids were detected in 25 e-cigarette samples. The main matrixes of e-cigarette samples were propylene glycol and glycerol. Additives such as N,2,3-trimethyl-2-isopropyl butanamide (WS-23), glycerol triacetate and nicotine were detected in some samples. The content range of synthetic cannabinoids in 25 e-cigarette samples was 0.05%-2.74%. CONCLUSIONS The GC-MS method for synthesizing cannabinoid, matrix and additive in e-cigarette oil samples has good selectivity, high resolution, low detection limit, and can be used for simultaneous qualitative and quantitative analysis of multiple components; The explored fragment ion fragmentation mechanism of the electron bombardment ion source of indole or indoxamide compounds helps to identify such substances or other compounds with similar structures in cases.
Gas Chromatography-Mass Spectrometry/methods* ; Electronic Nicotine Delivery Systems ; Illicit Drugs/analysis* ; Indazoles/chemistry* ; Glycerol/analysis* ; Cannabinoids ; Indoles/chemistry* ; Ions

OBJECTIVES: To establish a combined high performance liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (HPLC-MS/MS) and gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS) method to detect the synthetic cannabinoid CUMYL-PEGACLONE in e-cigarette oil and hair. METHODS: HPLC-MS/MS and GC-MS were used to establish the detection method of CUMYL-PEGACLONE, and the hair of drug-involved persons and the seized e-cigarette oil were detected. RESULTS: The main mass spectrometry characteristic ions m/z of CUMYL-PEGACLONE measured by GC-MS were 91, 179, 197, 254 and 372. CUMYL-PEGACLONE had a good linear relationship in the mass concentration range of 2-50 ng/mL, and the linear correlation coefficient (r) was greater than 0.99. The limit of detection (LOD) of CUMYL-PEGACLONE in hair was 0.01 ng/mg, and the limit of quantitation (LOQ) was 0.02 ng/mg. The LOD of CUMYL-PEGACLONE in e-cigarette oil was 1 ng/mg, and the LOQ was 2 ng/mg. The average recoveries of CUMYL-PEGACLONE under the attempt at high, intermediate and low levels in blank human hair and e-cigarette oil matrix were 98.2%-132.4% and 93.5%-110.6%, and the intraday and intraday precision were 1.2%-12.9% and 0.7%-2.9%. CUMYL-PEGACLONE was detected in the hair of 15 drug-involved persons. Except for 1 person who was lower than LOQ, the concentration of CUMYL-PEGACLONE in the hair of other 14 persons was 0.035-0.563 ng/mg. The mass fraction of CUMYL-PEGACLONE in 2 e-cigarette oil were 0.17% and 0.21%, respectively. CONCLUSIONS The established HPLC-MS/MS and GC-MS methods are applied to the detection of HPLC-MS/MS in drug-related cases, which provides strong evidence support for the handling authority to quickly investigate these cases, and also provides a reference for the identification of such substances in future.
Humans ; Illicit Drugs/analysis* ; Tandem Mass Spectrometry ; Electronic Nicotine Delivery Systems ; Cannabinoids ; Hair/chemistry* ; Limit of Detection ; Substance Abuse Detection/methods*

OBJECTIVE: The effect of transdermal nicotine patch on sleep physiology is not well established. The current study aimed to examine the influence of nicotine patch on homeostatic sleep propensity and autonomic nervous system. METHODS: We studied 16 non-smoking young healthy volunteers with nocturnal polysomnography in a double blind crossover design between sleep with and without nicotine patch. We compared the sleep variables, sleep EEG power spectra, and heart rate variability. RESULTS: The night with nicotine patch showed significant increase in sleep latency, wake after sleep onset, and stage 1 sleep; and decrease in total sleep time, sleep efficiency, and percentage of REM sleep. Also, spectral analysis of the sleep EEG in the night with nicotine patch revealed decreased slow wave activity in stage 2 and REM sleep and increased alpha activity in the first NREM-REM sleep cycle. Heart rate variability showed no differences between the 2 nights, but the low to high ratio (a parameter indicative of sympathetic nervous system activity) positively correlated with wake after sleep onset in night with nicotine patch. CONCLUSION: Transdermal nicotine patch significantly disrupts sleep continuity, sleep architecture, and homeostatic sleep propensity. The overactivation of the sympathetic nervous system may be responsible for these changes.
Adult* ; Autonomic Nervous System ; Cross-Over Studies ; Electroencephalography* ; Healthy Volunteers ; Heart Rate* ; Heart* ; Humans ; Male* ; Nicotine* ; Physiology ; Polysomnography ; Sleep, REM ; Spectrum Analysis ; Sympathetic Nervous System ; Tobacco Use Cessation Products*

BACKGROUND: Hospitalization presents smokers with an opportunity to initiate smoking cessation. We studied the effect of inpatient counseling and follow-up after discharge on smoking cessation and assessed predictors of successful cessation. METHODS: This study included a total of 125 patients (118 male and 7 female) who were admitted to departments of neurology, cardiology, and pulmonology. They were referred to the smoking cessation clinic, and participated between September 2011 and February 2013. A counseling service lasting about thirty minutes was provided by the third-year family medicine residents during hospitalization. The follow-up counseling services, which were either by telephone or in-person physician counseling were provided at 1 week, 4 weeks, and 3 months. Smoking habits and nicotine dependency data were gathered using questionnaires, and patient information was collected from electronic medical records. RESULTS: The average age in the study was 57.9 +/- 10.2 years and duration of smoking was 35.9 +/- 11.7 years. Daily tobacco consumption was 23.5 +/- 13.2 cigarettes. The smoking cessation rate after 3 months was 42.4%. The only differences between patients in the successful cessation and failed groups were cause of admission (P = 0.039) and total number of counseling sessions after discharge (P < 0.001). In a multivariate analysis, smoking cessation was more likely when patients experienced more instances of follow-up after discharge (1-2 visits: odds ratio [OR], 8.186; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.060 to 63.239; > or =3 visits: OR, 121.873; 95% CI, 14.462 to 1,027.055). CONCLUSION: Smoking cessation counseling during hospitalization and further follow-up by telephone or outpatient counseling after discharge contributed to an increased smoking cessation rate. The smoking cessation rate also tended to increase with total counseling numbers.
Cardiology ; Counseling ; Electronic Health Records ; Follow-Up Studies ; Hospitalization ; Humans ; Inpatients* ; Male ; Multivariate Analysis ; Neurology ; Nicotine ; Odds Ratio ; Outpatients ; Pulmonary Medicine ; Surveys and Questionnaires ; Smoke ; Smoking ; Smoking Cessation* ; Telephone ; Tobacco Products ; Tobacco Use

OBJECTIVES: Nicotine is a natural alkaloid and insecticide in tobacco leaves. Green tobacco sickness (GTS) is known as a disease of acute nicotine intoxication among tobacco farmers. Until now, GTS has been recognized globally as a disease that results from nicotine absorption through the skin. However, we assumed that GTS might also result from nicotine inhalation as well as absorption. We aimed to measure the airborne nicotine concentrations in various work environments of Korean tobacco farmers. METHODS: We measured the nicotine concentrations in the tobacco fields, private curing barns, and joint curing barns of farmers from July to October 2010. All sampling and analyses of airborne nicotine were conducted according to the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health manual of analytic methods. RESULTS: The airborne nicotine concentrations (geometric mean [geometric standard deviation]) in the tobacco field were 83.4 mg/m3 (1.2) in the upper region and 93.3 mg/m3 (1.2) in the lower region. In addition, the nicotine concentration by personal sampling was 150.1 mg/m3. Similarly, the nicotine concentrations in the private curing barn, workers in curing barns, the front yard of the curing barn, and in the joint curing barn were 323.7 mg/m3 (2.0), 121.0 mg/m3 (1.5), 73.7 mg/m3 (1.7), and 610.3 mg/m3 (1.0), respectively. CONCLUSIONS: The nicotine concentration in the workplaces of tobacco farmers was very high. Future studies should measure the environmental concentration of nicotine that is inhaled by tobacco farmers.
*Agriculture ; Air Pollutants/*analysis ; *Environmental Monitoring ; Humans ; Nicotine/*analysis ; Occupational Exposure/*analysis ; Tobacco ; Workplace

INTRODUCTIONSmoking is one of the leading preventable causes of death throughout the world and can lead to nicotine dependence, particularly when initiated at a young age. This paper describes the prevalence of smoking and nicotine dependence in the adult Singapore resident population, whilst also exploring rates among the major ethnic groups (Chinese, Malay and Indian), different education levels and those with chronic psychiatric and physical comorbidities.

MATERIAL AND METHODSThe Singapore Mental Health Study (SMHS) is a cross-sectional epidemiological study that was conducted between December 2009 and December 2010. Information on smoking status was assessed using the Composite International Diagnostic Interview version 3.0 (CIDI 3.0) and the Fagerstrom Test for Nicotine Dependence measured nicotine dependence. Socio-demographic information was also collected.

RESULTSIn total, 6616 respondents participated in the SMHS giving a response rate of 75.9%. We found that 16% of the population were current smokers and 4.5% had nicotine dependence. Current smokers were more likely to be younger (18 to 34 years old), males, Malay and have lower education, whilst males had a 4.6 times higher risk of nicotine dependence to that of females. The prevalence of nicotine dependence was also higher in those with alcohol abuse and those experiencing chronic pain.

CONCLUSIONThe results from this study highlight the important differences in the prevalence of smoking and nicotine dependence among different age groups, gender and ethnicity in Singapore and are important for developing future health policies and targeted preventive strategies.

Adolescent ; Adult ; Aged ; China ; ethnology ; Cross-Sectional Studies ; Educational Status ; Epidemiologic Studies ; Female ; Humans ; Indonesia ; ethnology ; Malaysia ; ethnology ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Multivariate Analysis ; Nicotine ; Prevalence ; Risk Factors ; Sex Factors ; Singapore ; epidemiology ; Smoking ; epidemiology ; ethnology ; Smoking Prevention ; Substance-Related Disorders ; epidemiology ; ethnology ; prevention & control ; Young Adult

PURPOSE: The purpose of this study was to examine the effects of a smoking cessation program using self-regulated learning strategy as an approach for middle-school boys to stop smoking. METHODS: A one group time series study was utilized for the purpose of this study. A five-week smoking cessation program, based on the self-regulated learning strategy of Zimmerman (1989), was provided to 15 middle-school boys who were smokers. Data were collected from July to September, 2008 and analyzed using descriptive statistics, repeated measures ANOVA, and nonparametric test, Friedman, 2 related samples with SPSS/WIN 14.0 program. RESULTS: Following the intervention, the participants showed significant differences on self-regulatory efficacy, cons of smoking, stage of smoking behavior change, nicotine dependency, urine cotinine levels, and CO expiration levels compared to those at pretest and those differences remained at 5 months after the intervention, except cons of smoking. CONCLUSION: This study suggest that the smoking cessation program using self-regulated learning strategy is effective for smoking cessation in middle-school boys and those smoking cessation behaviors remained for up to 5 months after the completion of the intervention. Broad application of the program would be beneficial for teenagers who smoke.
Adolescent ; Analysis of Variance ; Cotinine ; Humans ; Learning* ; Nicotine ; Smoke ; Smoking ; Smoking Cessation*

OBJECTIVETo examine the effects of various concentration of nicotine on bone marrow stromal cells (BMSCs) proliferation and differentiation of cartilaginous in vitro.

METHODSBMSCs was obtained from femoral bone and tibia of New-Zealand albino rabbit. The cells of the 3rd generation were used in study. Different concentration of nicotine (0, 1 x 10(-7), 1 x 10(-6), 1 x 10(-5) M) were added into BMSCs. BMSCs proliferation was analyzed by MTT assay at the 1, 4, 7, 14 days. The expression of collagen type II and aggrecan as the marker genes of cartilaginous differentiation from BMSCs were detected by reverse transcriptase-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR).

RESULTSMicroscope showed that BMSCs transformed from round to fusiform shape. The concentration of nicotine in 1 x 10(-7), 1 x 10(-6) M had a significant positive effect on cell proliferation and the expression of type II collagen in a time-dependent manner when supplemented in commonly used induction media (P<0.05). Concentrations of nicotine in 1 x 10(-7) can promote the expression of aggrecan at the 7th day after induction,and in 1 x 10(-5) M may inhibit the expression of type II collagen and aggrecan.

CONCLUSIONIt was implied that local application of nicotine at an appropriate concentration may be a promising approach for enhancing cartilaginous differentiation capacity of BMSCs in cartilage tissue engineering.

Aggrecans ; genetics ; Animals ; Bone Marrow Cells ; drug effects ; physiology ; Cell Differentiation ; drug effects ; Cell Proliferation ; drug effects ; Chondrocytes ; cytology ; drug effects ; Collagen Type II ; genetics ; Male ; Nicotine ; pharmacology ; RNA, Messenger ; analysis ; Rabbits ; Stromal Cells ; drug effects ; physiology

OBJECTIVETo evaluate the potency of carboxymethyl chitosan-2, 2' ethylenedioxy bis-ethylamine-folate (CMC-EDBE-FA) on tissue injury, antioxidant status and glutathione system in tissue mitochondria and serum against nicotine-induced oxidative stress in mice.

METHODSCMC-EDBE-FA was prepared on basis of carboxymethyl chitosan tagged with folic acid by covalently linkage through 2, 2' ethylenedioxy bis-ethylamine. Animals were divided into four groups, i.e., control, nicotine (1 mg/kg bw/day), CMC-EDBE-FA (1 mg/kg bw/day) and nicotine (1 mg/kg bw/day) and CMC-EDBE-FA (1 mg/kg bw/day) for 7 days. Levels of lipid peroxidation, oxidized glutathione level, antioxidant enzyme status and DNA damage were observed and compared.

RESULTSThe significantly increase of lipid peroxidation, oxidized glutathione levels and DNA damage was observed in nicotine treated group as compared with control group; those were significantly reduced in CMC-EDBE-FA supplemented group. Moreover, significantly reduced antioxidant status in nicotine treated group was effectively ameliorated by the supplementation of CMC-EDBE-FA. Only CMC-EDBE-FA treated groups showed no significant change as compared with control group; rather than it repairs the tissue damage of nicotine treated group.

CONCLUSIONSThese findings suggest that CMC-EDBE-FA is non-toxic and ameliorates nicotine-induced toxicity.

Animals ; Antioxidants ; chemistry ; pharmacology ; Chitosan ; analogs & derivatives ; chemistry ; pharmacology ; DNA Fragmentation ; drug effects ; Folic Acid ; chemistry ; pharmacology ; Glutathione ; analysis ; metabolism ; Glutathione Transferase ; metabolism ; Male ; Mice ; Nanoparticles ; chemistry ; Nicotine ; toxicity ; Organ Specificity ; Oxidoreductases ; metabolism

The paper reports the evaluation of the feasibility of using internal standard method for the determination of nicotine recovery in microdialysis in vitro. This in vitro experiment included two conditions. Nicotine and codeine phosphate were dissolved in Ringer's solution. Nicotine, codeine phosphate and the mixture of them were perfused through the CMA30 linear probe separately to calculate the proportion of the recovery (or delivery) of nicotine to that of codeine phosphate. And then codeine was perfused through the probe which was immersed in nicotine solution with different concentrations to calculate the proportion, too. In another condition nicotine was dissolved in rat plasma. The rat plasma protein binding rate was determined by using retrodialysis and internal standard method in vitro. The results are as follows: the proportion of the recovery (or delivery) of nicotine to that of codeine phosphate was fairly stable. The delivery of codeine was independent of nicotine concentration in the external medium. Protein binding rate determined by retrodialysis was almost the same as that determined by internal standard method. It suggests that the internal standard method is an effective way in the determination of nicotine recovery and codeine phosphate can be used as the internal standard.
Animals ; Blood Proteins ; metabolism ; Chromatography, High Pressure Liquid ; methods ; Codeine ; analysis ; Male ; Microdialysis ; methods ; Nicotine ; analysis ; metabolism ; Protein Binding ; Rats ; Rats, Sprague-Dawley