Quantitative analysis shows impact of smoking on DNA

Electrophoresis has allowed scientists to complete quantitative analysis of the damage caused to DNA by smoking.

A team from the University of Basel looked at the effects of smoking half a pack of cigarettes on a daily basis.

Their findings, published in Tobacco Induced Diseases, discuss how electrophoresis allows these effects to be measured through quantitative analysis of the damage caused.

"DNA breaks lead to smaller pieces of DNA, which migrate out of the nucleus forming a tail during gel electrophoresis," they explain.

In their study, smokers exhibited more than double the level of damage seen in non-smokers on both assessment criteria, olive moment and tail moment.

According to the scientists, oxidative stress caused by smoking could be one mechanism by which these breaks in DNA occur.

Tobacco Induced Diseases is concerned with the underlying mechanisms behind the creation of tobacco-induced diseases, along with ways in which addiction might be prevented.