Cigarette smoke-induced injury of peritoneal mesothelial cells.

Abstract

Cultured rat peritoneal mesothelial cells have been exposed to plasma obtained from healthy adult male volunteers before and after the smoking of two medium-tar cigarettes. The pre-smoking plasma had little effect on the mesothelial cells as observed by scanning electron microscopy. Post-smoking plasma produced extensive cellular damage evidenced by the production of blebs and microvillus-like structures on the cell surface. Some cells were also found to have a perforated luminal membrane. These results suggest that factors cytotoxic for these cells are present in plasma following exposure of humans to cigarette smoke.