Abstract
It is known that women who smoke cigarettes and use oral contraceptives are more likely to have breakthrough bleeding than women who do not smoke. In this article, we review possible mechanisms by which cigarette smoke and its constituents may contribute to irregular bleeding, highlight differences in the activities of nicotine and cigarette smoke, and postulate further studies in the area.
MeSH terms
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Animals
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Cotinine / pharmacology
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Cytochrome P-450 Enzyme System / metabolism
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Female
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Humans
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Menstruation / drug effects
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Menstruation / physiology*
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Menstruation Disturbances / etiology*
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Neovascularization, Physiologic / drug effects
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Nicotine / metabolism
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Nicotine / pharmacology
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Smoking / adverse effects*
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Smoking / physiopathology
Substances
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Nicotine
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Cytochrome P-450 Enzyme System
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Cotinine