Effects of Cigarette Smoke Components on Bronchial Clearance in the Donkey

Abstract

The tracheobronchial transport of insoluble radioactive particles has been studied in the donkey to determine the effects of various levels of exposure to whole cigarette smoke, filtered cigarette smoke, and hydrogen cyanide gas.

Low levels of exposure to whole cigarette smoke accelerated clearance from the distal bronchi. Intermediate levels of exposure to whole and filtered smoke and HCN gas caused generalized but transient impairment of tracheobronchial clearance. At higher exposure levels, whole cigarette smoke had twice the effectiveness of filtered smoke for causing sustained impairment of clearance.