In vitro effect of tobacco smoke components on the functions of normal human polymorphonuclear leukocytes

The function of polymorphonuclear leukocytes (PMNs) has previously been shown to be impaired in smokers in comparison with healthy nonsmokers. Potent inhibition of PMN chemotaxis has been achieved with whole tobacco smoke, the gas phase of smoke, and a water-soluble extract of whole smoke. In the present work several aspects of PMN function were studied after exposure to water-soluble fraction of the particle phase of tobacco smoke collected on glass fiber filters. These tests included capillary tube random migration, chemotaxis under agarose, phagocytosis of yeasts, Nitro Blue Tetrazolium dye reduction, and whole-blood bactericidal activity. The water extract of the particle fraction of smoke had a high content of nicotine when compared with the levels achieved in plasma of smokers and a much lower concentration of aldehydes when compared with the gas phase of smoke. It had no cytotoxic effect and did not affect phagocytosis, oxygen consumption, or bactericidal activity. Nitro Blue Tetrazolium reduction of both resting and stimulated PMNs was significantly decreased only with the most concentrated solution. The tested solutions exerted a dose-related depressive effect on capillary tube random migration, whereas the random migration measured in the agarose chemotaxis test was normal. Nevertheless, the chemotactic response to a caseine solution was significantly decreased. The same tests were performed in the presence of several concentrations of a nicotine solution and the only test to be affected was the capillary tube random migration, and, that only at a very high concentration. The results of this study contribute to the more precise delineation of the extent of the dysfunction of PMNs exposed to tobacco smoke components and indicate that deleterious products are released from the particle phase of the smoke, which deposits all along the respiratory tree.