Abstract

Background. Smoking is a risk factor for gastroduodenal ulcer and gastric adenocarcinoma. However, the pathophysiological mechanisms induced by acute cigarette smoking in the human gastric mucosa are poorly understood. Aim. To evaluate the effect of acute cigarette smoking, alone or with alcohol, on the gastric permeability to sucrose, a specific marker of mucosal damage in the stomach. Subjects and Methods. Twenty healthy volunteers (8 smokers/12 non-smokers) were studied. Each fasted subject ingested 500 ml of a 20% sucrose solution and the amount of sucrose excreted in a 5-hour urine collection was measured by gas chromatography. Four sucrose permeability tests were carried out: 1. basal, 2. while smoking 5 cigarettes, 3. after drinking 50 ml of a 40° alcoholic beverage, 4. a combination of 2+3. Results. Sucrose excretion increased after alcohol ingestion [40.5±6.0 mg vs 143.1±28.9 mg, p=0.002), but was not modified by acute cigarette smoking (34.4±5.9 mg). When alcohol and cigarettes were simultaneously consumed, the increase in alcohol-induced sucrose excretion was significantly reduced (73.1±16.6 mg, p=0.03). Basal sucrose excretion was similar in smokers and non-smokers. However, in acute cigarette smoking, a decrease in sucrose excretion was observed in smokers (p=0.02) but not in non-smokers. Conclusions. These results indicate that acute cigarette smoking may tighten the gastric mucosa in habitual smokers and this is associated with a smaller increase of gastric permeability induced by alcohol.