Effect of passive smoking on the lung of young lambs.

The effect of passive smoking on lung histology, lung mechanics, and airway responsiveness (AR) was studied in 2-month-old lambs. Two groups of lambs were studied; 17 were exposed to cigarette smoke (CS) and 13 served as age- and sex-matched controls. Starting at 1 month of age, CS lambs had 25 daily exposures to the smoke generated from eight cigarettes. A smoking machine was constructed for the study using a Bird Ventilator. Two days prior to lung function testing, lambs were anesthetized and a Silastic balloon was placed in the pleural space for later measurement of pleural pressure. At the beginning of each study, lambs were intubated with a nasotracheal tube over a flexible fiberoptic bronchoscope. Lung mechanics (dynamic compliance, resistance of the lung, functional residual capacity) and AR were measured using a whole body plethsymograph. AR to inhaled histamine, carbachol, and citric acid was measured in each lamb on 3 separate days by giving five breaths of increasing concentrations of the aerosol in a noncumulative fashion. AR was measured both within 24 h of the final exposure to CS and at 3-7 days after CS. After the final AR was measured, lambs were anesthetized and an open lung biopsy performed. Control lambs had the same studies as CS lambs performed at an equivalent age. After 25 daily exposures to CS in 17 lambs, mean dynamic compliance was 0.024 +/- 0.009 liter/cm H2O, lung resistance was 2.56 +/- 1.32 cm H2O X liter-1 X s, and functional residual capacity was 0.725 +/- 0.234 liter.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)