Effect of cigarette smoking on high density lipoprotein phospholipids

The effect of acute inhalation of cigarette smoke on high density lipoprotein (HDL) phospholipid composition in White Carneau pigeons was examined. Four treatments included: 1) Shelf Control birds fed a chow diet and retained in their cages; 2) Sham pigeons fed a cholesterol-saturated fat diet and exposed to fresh air by a smoking machine; 3) Low nicotine-low carbon monoxide (LoLo) animals also fed the cholesterol diet and exposed to low concentrations of these cigarette smoke products; and 4) High nicotine-high carbon monoxide (HiHi) birds fed the cholesterol diet and subjected to high concentrations of these inhalants. The cholesterol-fat diet caused an increase in the concentration of most HDL phospholipid classes. Exposure to the HiHi regimen resulted in an increase in the HDL cholesterol/phospholipid ratio and a reduction in the concentration of HDL phosphatidyl ethanolamine, phosphatidyl serine/inositol, sphingomyelin and lysophosphatidyl choline. Cigarette smoking may thus attenuate HDL's anti-atherogenic properties by altering surface phospholipid components.