Tobacco smoke reduces viability in human lung fibroblasts: protective effect of glutathione S-transferase P1

Cigarette smoking is thought to be a major risk factor in various lung dise ases including lung cancer and emphysema. However, the direct effect of cig arette smoke on the viability of lung-derived cells has not been fully eluc idated. In this study, we investigated the viability of human lung fibrobla st-derived (HFL1) cells to different concentrations of cigarette smoke extr act (CSE). CSE induced apoptosis at lower concentrations (10-25%) and necro sis at higher concentrations (50-100%). We also examined the effects of glu tathione S-transferase P1 (GSTP1), one of the xenobiotic metabolizing and a ntioxidant enzymes in the lung, against the cytotoxicity of CSE. Our result s indicated that the level of HFL1 cell death was decreased by transfection with a GSTP1 expression vector and was increased by GSTP1 antisense vector transfection. Therefore, transient overexpression and underexpression of G STP1 appeared to inhibit and enhance the cytotoxic effects of CSE on HFL1 c ells, suggesting that GSTP1 may have protective effects against cigarette s moke in the airway cells.