The Effect of Tobacco Snuff Consumption on Liver Enzymes

Abstract

This study was designed to investigate the changes in liver biochemical profile following oral tobacco dust ingestion. Adult Wistar rats (42) weighing 150-300g were involved. They were divided into four groups; group A serving as control, while groups B, C and D served as the test groups. The test groups were further divided into four groups (B1, C1, D1; B2, C2, D2; B3, C3, D3; and B4, C4, D4) representing four experimental phases/duration of 2, 4, 6 and 8 weeks respectively. The rats were fed with varying doses of tobacco dust mixed with potash. At the end of each phase, the animals were sacrificed and blood sample collected into lithium heparin and EDTA containers. Liver parameters (AST, ALT, ALP and GGT) were assayed and the results obtained showed statistically significant impairment of liver function. There was significant increase (p<0.05) in serum AST, ALT, and GGT levels in the different phases when the test groups were compared with the control. However, ALP shows no statistically significant increase in all the groups throughout the experiment. The results of this study suggest that potash-tobacco dust (local tobacco snuff) is toxic to the liver and the observed changes were dose and duration dependent.

Keywords: tobacco, potash, liver function, liver enzymes.