Public release date: 7-Jan-2008

A new study has revealed the effects of smoking on skeletal muscles. Researchers from Venezuela studied the vastus lateralis muscle in 14 smokers and 20 nonsmoking control subjects. Elements such as muscle structure, enzyme activity, constitutive and inducible nitric oxide synthases, and the presence of macrophages were analyzed. Researchers found that some muscular structural and metabolic damage was present in the smokers, but they did not exhibit local inflammation. In addition, the findings suggest a possible effect of tobacco smoke impairing the normal process of nitric oxide generation. This study is published in the January issue of the journal CHEST.