Cigarette Smoke Potentiates Asbestos-Induced Airflow Abnormalities

Abstract

It has been suggested that exposure to both asbestos and cigarette smoke can produce worse parenchymal lung disease than exposure to asbestos alone. Using a guinea pig model of asbestos administration that produces primarily airway disease and associated airflow abnormalities, we showed previously that the combination of asbestos and smoke acts synergistically to produce more marked increases in tissue collagen, fibrosis of airway walls, and early interstitial fibrosis than are seen with asbestos alone. To investigate the functional effects of these morphological and biochemical abnormalities, pulmonary function tests for volumes and flows, including lung volumes, pressure-volume curves, and flow-volume curves, were performed. By themselves, both smoke and asbestos produced increases in total lung capacity (TLC), residual volume (RV), and functional residual capacity (FRC); the two agents together made all these changes worse than either one alone. Both smoking and asbestos moved the pressure-volume curve upward, and the effects of the two agents together were again greater than either alone. Similarly, both smoke and asbestos decreased flows, and the two agents produced more severe impairment than either one by itself. The changes in volumes, pressure-volume curve, and flows correlated with both increased thickness of small airway walls and increases in airspace size. These observations indicate that, at least in this guinea pig model, cigarette smoke can potentiate the functional consequences of asbestos exposure.

Symptoms And Lung Function Values In Nigerian Men And Women Exposed To Dust Generated From Crushing Of Granite Rocks In Calabar, Nigeria

“…As there was no radiographic examination, it is not possible to know if pneumoconiosis had set in the dust-exposed workers. Lung function tests are a means of early detection of lung functional impairment even without radiographic signs of the disease (Wright et al, 1988). So frequent lung function testing in vicinity of granite rock blasting industry should be enforced and precautionary measures should be introduced in the industry studied.…”

Asbestos Surveillance Program Aachen (ASPA): initial results from baseline screening for lung cancer in asbestos-exposed high-risk individuals using low-dose multidetector-row CT

“…Further increases in lung cancer due to asbestos exposure are expected for the near future [11][12][13]. Combining the risk of developing lung cancer from asbestos and smoking leads to a multiplication of the risk of developing lung cancer [14][15][16][17].…”

Cardiopulmonary Effects of a Brief Exposure to Cigarette Smoke in the Guinea Pig

“…Cardiac output was measured by injection of 0.25 ml cold saline into the pulmonary artery, and a thermodilution curve calculated from the aortic thermoprobe using an Edwards cardiac output computer. Pulmonary function tests were performed according to our usual protocol [3]. In brief, a 10-cm water filled catheter with multiple side holes was inserted into the esophagus to measure pleural pres sure.…”

“…We chose the intact guinea pig since it has been used successfully in this laboratory as a model of cigarette smoke-induced pulmonary emphysema [3,4], The model has shown that guinea pigs exposed to long-term cigarette smoke develop both airflow obstruction and pulmonary hypertension. Pa(x) = Mean systemic arterial pressure (cm H20); CO = cardiac output (ml/min); Cl = cardiac index (m l/m in/cm 2); HR = heart rate (beats/min): Ppa(s) = systolic pulmonary arterial pressure (cm H,0); Ppa(d) = diastolic pulmonary arterial pressure (cm H:0); Ppa(x) = mean pulmonary arterial pressure (cm H20).…”