Concentration of Nicotine in Serum and Saliva after Intravenous Infusion of the Alkaloid and after Smoking

Summary

The contribution of salivary glands to the excretion of nicotine and tobacco specific nitrosamines (TSNA) which may derive from nicotine was investigated in two experiments. In the first experiment, four healthy male cigarette smokers received three nicotine infusions. In the second experiment, four healthy male cigarette smokers received one nicotine infusion and in addition to this, they smoked eight cigarettes of their own brand within 3 hours. Nicotine and its main metabolite cotinine were monitored in serum and in saliva. Saliva specimens were sampled to determine TSNA. Nicotine concentrations were about 20 times higher in saliva from the submandibular gland and about 60 times higher in saliva from the parotid gland as compared to serum levels. After smoking nicotine values in pooled saliva from the parotid gland were about 10 times higher than those in serum. Cotinine values in saliva are slightly higher than those in serum, but the differences are marginal. TSNA could neither be detected after nicotine infusion nor after smoking.