Smoking can damage brain cells triggering memory loss and speeding up neuro-related disorders,a new study has claimed. "We found that NNK,a major nitrosamine and a potent cancer-causing chemical in tobacco smoke can harm nerve cells of the brain," says Dr Anirban Basu,a scientist with Manesar (Gurgaon)-based National Brain Research Centre (NBRC). According to him,NNK is present in all forms of tobacco and thus enters the body through smoking and tobacco chewing. Explaining the mechanism,Basu said,"NNK turns into a cancer-causing chemical once it is through the body's metabolism. It triggers white blood cells in the brain's immune system to attack healthy cells. "NNK does not damages the brain directly. At first it causes inflammation in brain cells similar to that which leads to disorders like multiple sclerosis," he said. The brain immune cells,which generally act as the clean up crew for the central nervous system,destroy damaged cells by realising toxins and engulfing them,he said. "Over-activation of immune cells for a prolonged period can have adverse effect on the surrounding neurons and can even lead to neuronal death." "The result of the work is confirmed both in culture systems and also in mice model. This finding is important considering how indispensable a healthy brain is for a healthy body," Basu says. Cigarette smoke contains about 4,000 chemical agents including 60 carcinogens,many of which are also poisonous in their own right. "This study intends to bring forth the detrimental affects of smoking on nerve cells of the brain and raise public awareness of the dangers of smoking and to deter people from choosing this costly habit," Debapriya Ghosh,another research assistant with NBRC who was part of this work,said. The study has appeared online in the International Society for Neurochemistry's Journal of Neurochemistry.
