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Abstract
The effects of cadmium, an environmental toxin present in tobacco smoke, were studied in vitro in human monocytes and compared to those of tobacco smoke. Overexpression of the 72 u kDa heat shock/stress protein Hsp70 and cell death occurred with a similar time-course and to a similar extent in human monocytes exposed to either cadmium or tobacco smoke. Cadmium and tobacco smoke-mediated toxicity were associated with a decrease in the cellular content of glutathione and ATP and the glutathione precursor N -acetyl- l -cysteine prevented both cadmium and tobacco smoke-mediated toxicity. Furthermore, tobacco smoke-mediated toxicity was prevented by pretreatment with the cadmium chelator resin Chelex-100, supporting the conclusion that cadmium plays a major role in tobacco smoke-mediated toxicity.