Cigarette smoking is a major risk factor in such human diseases
as cardiovascular disease, lung cancer, and chronic obstructive
pulmonary disease. There is little information about the extend of
immune alterations and whether it is uniform on all immunologic
parameters or not. In order to clarify these issues, Sprague Dawley
rats were exposed to smoking in acute and chromic manners to
have models fortiabbituativeand recovered rats. Their immune status were
assessed by variety of assays on three important immunologic
parameters. Macrophages phagocytic power and index and uptake of
Candida albicans in smoking exposed rats. Serum interleukin
concentrations and splenic weight and splenocytes. Acute smoking
resulted in statistically significant reduction in phagocytic index ( p <
0.05 ) and interleulcin-2 concentration (P < 0.05 ) which was partially
antagonized by opioid antagonist, naloxone. There was no change in
splenic weight and splenocytes histologically. Chronic smoking resulted
in statistically significant reduction in phagocytic index of macrophages (
p < 0.05 ) and it was still diminished in recovered rats . Interleukin-2
concentrations were also significantly highly reduced ( p < 0.01) in
chronic smoking , yet it showed sudden increase in recovered rats, but it
did not reach the control levels . As regards splenic lymphocytes, chronic
smoking induced suppressions of lymphocytic mass and splenic weight.,
which did not recover to normal control levels. Finally, the results of this
study showed that, smoking has an immuno-modulatory effect on
different parameters of the immune system which differs with the
duration of intake and the type of immune cell or parameter affected, it is
partially antagonized by naloxone and capable of recovery after cessation
of the intake. |
