IMPACT OF SMOKING AND ATHLETIC ACTIVITY ON SALIVARY MALONDIALDEHYDE, COPPER, AND ZINC LEVELS IN MALE STUDENT ATHLETES IN BABYLON PROVINCE, IRAQ
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Objective: The smoking habits and physical exercise are two important factors associated with human health. The current study was designed to investigate the influence of cigarette smoking habits and athletic activity on salivary factors linked to oxidative stress and trace elements in male smokers and athlete have been studied by investigating effects of smoking and regular exercise on the flow rate and malondialdehyde (MDA) levels as a biomarker for quantifying oxidative stress in the salivary samples. Method: A total of forty university students were selected for the study. The sample was classified equally into two groups smokers and non-smokers and each group were divided into another two groups based on the physical exercise. The levels of some trace metals including saliva zinc (Zn), copper (Cu), Cu/Zn ratio and MDA levels were measured in Iraqi students as an important parameter involved in several physiological process including antioxidant system. Results: Findings of this effort had pointed the investigated salivary parameters were affected by physical stress and cigarette smoking. It was found significant observed variations between groups of smoking habits and exercises when being taken independently and their interactions. The highest salivary MDA levels were in the smokers/ non-athletes (1.469 μmol/L) and non-smokers/athletes (1.349 μmol/L) and differed significantly (p < 0.05) from non-smokers/non-athletes (0.71403 μmol/L). The concentrations of Cu were substantially higher in salivary of non-smokers/non-athletes compared to other three groups. The Cu/Zn ratio is driven by a rise in Cu levels and decrease in Zn levels among the fourth groups. Novelty: Although some study investigated effects of MDA and some trace metals such as Zn and Cu, there is an obvious lack of comprehensive studies in Iraq that evaluate salivary MDA, Zn and Cu levels among athletes, specifically in relation to smoking status. Thus, this study provides important data to fill this gap and better understand these interactions related to oxidative stress and antioxidant defense systems.
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