The aim of the current study was to investigate the oxidative effects of nicotine by examining the mitogenic and functional responses in AR42J cells. As a control and for comparison, hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) was used as a source of known oxidative biomarker. Responses were examined by determining cell proliferation through the activation of ERK signaling, basal and CCK-stimulated cell function and measuring lipid peroxidation. AR42J cells have been exposed to either a non-cytotoxic dose of 20 muM H2O2 for 15 min or to 100 muM of nicotine for 3 min respectively. Nicotine and H2O2 at these dose and time intervals produced similar levels of malondialdyde (MDA) production and p-ERK1/2 activation. Immunofluorescence studies employing specific antibody to p-ERK1/2 confirmed the latter. Nicotine-induced increase in the proliferation of AR42J cells was significantly higher in comparison to H2O2 exposed cells. CCK-stimulated cell function induced by nicotine was significantly higher in AR42J cells as compared to the response by H2O2. These results suggest that nicotine- induced mitogenic and functional response in AR42J cells are associated with ERK signaling and increase in reactive oxygen species production. The data suggests that nicotine-induced mitogenic response in AR42J cells closely identifies the response induced by an oxidative biomarker.