Effects of smoking on the synthesis of leukotriene B4 by rat alveolar macrophages.

Leukotriene B4 (LTB4) is a potent chemotactic factor for polymorphonuclear leukocytes. It was reported recently that pulmonary macrophages from some mammalian species synthesize and release LTB4. Laviolette et al. reported the decrease of LTB4 synthesis in smokers' alveolar macrophages (AM). In this paper, we report the chronic effects of passive smoking on the production of LTB4 by rat AM. Some rats inhaled tobacco smoke and some inhaled smoke which did not contain nicotine. LTB4 production from AM from these rats was compared. In the tobacco-smoking group (n = 12), LTB4 production was 8.0 +/- 2.4 ng/10(6) cells. This value was significantly lower than in the nonsmoking (NS) group (n = 12; 16.5 +/- 4.5 ng/10(6) cells; p less than 0.01) and in the non-nicotinized cigarette smoking (NNCS) group (n = 8; 18.5 +/- 3.5 ng/10(6) cells; p less than 0.01). There were no significant differences between the NS and the NNCS group. These data may suggest that chronic inhalation of nicotine in tobacco smoke decreases LTB4 production activity of rat AM. The precise mechanism of decreased synthesis of LTB4 is not clear but it may have some immunological effects on the lung.