Research Article
Absorption and metabolism of nicotine from cigarettes.
Br Med J 1975; 4 doi: https://doi.org/10.1136/bmj.4.5992.313 (Published 08 November 1975) Cite this as: Br Med J 1975;4:313- A K Armitage,
- C T Dollery,
- C F George,
- T H Houseman,
- P J Lewis,
- D M Turner
Abstract
Eight men volunteers each smoked a single cirgarette containing 14C-nicotine and gave arterial blood samples during and for 50 minutes after smoking. The maximum concentration of nicotine in the arterial blood ranged from 31 to 41 mug/l in four regular cigarette smokers who inhaled. Two non-smokers achieved maximum levels of 2 and 4 mug/l. On a separate occasion two of the inhalers received 1 mg. 14C-nicotine in 10 divided doses injected intravenously. In both cases the peak arterial nicotine concentrations bore a similar relationship to the intravenous dose, as did the peak nicotine concentrations to the retained doses during smoking.