Chronic Sidestream Cigarette Smoke Exposure Causes Lung Injury in Rabbits

Mark L. Witten, Patricia M. Joseph, R. Clark Lantz, David S. Lazarus, Walter K. Jung, Charles A. Hales

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

6 Scopus citations

Abstract

The effects of sidestream cigarette smoke (SSCS) (a 15-min exposure per day for 20 days) were determined on markers of lung injury in New Zealand white rabbits (n = 9) and a control group (n = 6). The SSCS consisted of air and smoke which were aspirated by syringe from a funnel inverted over a lit ciga rette. The rabbits were placed in an environmental chamber into which 3 liters of SSCS were injected over a 15-min period each day. Chronic SSCS caused an increase (p < 0.05) in pulmonary epithelial clearance (k) of technetium labeled diethylenetriamine pentaacetate (99mTcDTPA); k = 0.83 (±0.07) for the SSCS-exposed group and 0.66 (± 0.02) for the control group. This increase in lung permeability was accompanied by an increase in bronchoalveolar lavage (BAL) white cell count; SSCS = 83,353 ( ± 11,954) cells/mm3 BAL fluid versus control = 16,450 (± 6,683) cells/mm3 BAL fluid and an increase in BAL leukotriene E4; SSCS = 742 (± 285) pg/ml BAL fluid compared with 76 (± 2) pg/ml BAL fluid for controls. Cultured SSCS alveolar macrophages (AMs) produced more superoxide (O2); 2.4 (± 0.8) nmol O2/106 AMs versus 0.4 (± 0.2) nmol O2/106 AMs for controls after incubation for 18 h with 10 μg/ml lipopolysaccharide. Electron microscopy demonstrated that the airway mu cosa of SSCS rabbits was infiltrated by eosinophils, and light microscopy showed focal clusters of neutrophils in perivascular and capillary spaces. It is concluded that SSCS exposure can induce lung injury.

Original languageEnglish (US)
Pages (from-to)341-347
Number of pages7
JournalIndoor and Built Environment
Volume1
Issue number6
DOIs
StatePublished - Nov 1992
Externally publishedYes

ASJC Scopus subject areas

  • Public Health, Environmental and Occupational Health

Fingerprint

Dive into the research topics of 'Chronic Sidestream Cigarette Smoke Exposure Causes Lung Injury in Rabbits'. Together they form a unique fingerprint.

Cite this