Joelle Mouawad, Joelle Abi Azar and Marcel Bassil
Background: Oxidative stress is an imbalance between reactive species and antioxidants production, leading to protein, DNA and lipid damage. The aim of this study was to evaluate the oxidative stress levels in buccal cells of ten non-shisha and heavy shisha smokers using MAWI iSWAB protein tubes.
Materials and findings: The presence of S-glutathionylation, NOX2 and iNOS was analyzed in buccal cells of ten non-smokers and ten heavy shisha smokers using MAWI i-SWAB protein tubes, knowing that they were able to detect previously several protein oxidation biomarkers (S-nitrosylation and nitrotyrosine). Proteins concentrations were assessed by Bradford assay then western blot method was used to analyze the presence of the different proteins of interest.
Conclusion: Results confirmed the findings about the ability of these tubes to detect S-nitrosylation, nitrotyrosine, as well as S-glutathionylation. Results showed also the presence of immature NOX2 in human buccal cells equally. Levels of iNOS were the same in non-shisha and heavy shisha smokerss.
