The role of glutathione in the toxicity of smoke condensates from cigarettes that burn or heat tobacco

Inhalation of cigarette smoke aerosol via active smoking is associated with the development of pulmonary inflammation. The cytotoxic potential of ciga rette smoke has been hypothetically related to development of pulmonary inf lammation since the release of intracellular contents from dead and dying c ells has been reported to induce inflammatory foci. in this study, cigarett e smoke condensates (CSCs) were prepared from Kentucky 1R4F reference cigar ettes and cigarettes that primarily heat tobacco (Eclipse). The two CSCs we re then compared for their ability to induce killing in human-hamster A, hy brid cells. CSCs prepared from Eclipse were much less cytotoxic than those prepared from reference cigarettes. At 60 mug CSC/ml culture medium, surviv al for CSC from Eclipse cigarettes was approximately 70% compared with 1% f or CSC from burned K1R4F cigarettes. The observed reduction in CSC-Eclipse cytotoxicity toward these mammalian cells is consistent with the previously published observation of a 30% decline in pulmonary white cell count and 4 0% reduction in visual bronchitis index in human smokers who switched to Ec lipse for 2 months. Results with N-acetylcysteine and buthionine-S-R-sulfox imine indicate that glutathione markedly reduces the cytoxicity of both CSC s. (C) 2001 Elsevier Science Inc.