NICOTINE-INDUCED RELEASE OF ELASTASE AND EICOSANOIDS BY HUMAN NEUTROPHILS

We examined the direct effects of nicotine on a variety of neutrophil functions at concentrations achievable in lung and oral tissues from c igarette smoking. The results show dose-dependent suppression of chemo taxis and phagocytosis, and enhancement of degranulation and eicosanoi d generation, but not superoxide production. Cell viability was not af fected by the concentrations of nicotine used in these experiments, as shown by trypan blue dye exclusion and MTT assays. These results impl icate nicotine as the ingredient in cigarette smoke responsible for in flammatory damage to lungs and oral tissues observed in cigarette smok ers.