Effect of nicotine and N'-nitrosonornicotine on rat lung and trachea ornithine decarboxylase activity.

The exposure of rats to tobacco smoke was previously reported to cause an increase in lung and trachea ornithine decarboxylase (ODC) activity. In the present paper we test the effects of the tobacco-specific components nicotine and N'-nitrosonornicotine (NNN) on lung and trachea ODC activity. In addition, a procedure for the synthesis of analytically pure NNN is described. NNN caused an increase in lung ODC activity 6 h and also 4 days after a single s.c. dose. NNN did not alter trachea ODC activity. A single s.c. dose of nicotine activated both lung and trachea ODC in a dose-response fashion. It is possible that the impact of these tobacco-specific agents upon respiratory tract polyamine biosynthesis could contribute to some of the multi-faceted effects associated with cigarette smoking.