Differential Response of Snell’s and C57 Black Mice to Chronic Inhalation of Cigarette Smoke

Abstract

There was a marked difference in response to chronic inhalation of cigarette smoke between Snell’s and C57 Black mice. After inhaling whole cigarette smoke or its gas vapor phase, Snell’s mice disclosed a higher frequency and earlier occurrence of lung adenocarcinomas than controls, while C57 Black mice did not develop lung adenocarcinomas. On the other hand, after inhalation of whole cigarette smoke, C57 Black mice disclosed a higher frequency of vascular changes in lung and heart, while there was no such effect in Snell’s mice. Since Snell’s controls developed spontaneous lung adenocarcinomas but no vascular alterations while C57 Black controls had no spontaneous lung cancers but vascular changes, the results indicate an enhancing effect of cigarette smoke on existing abnormalities in these two strains.