Tobacco smoke toxicity: loss of human oral leukocyte function and fluid-cell metabolism.

The human mouth has been utilized as a new and significant in vivo open bioassay system for tracing undesirable substances present in tobacco smoke, in an exact milieu where the smoking "problem" begins and must be dealt with directly. The associated in vitro closed test systems described herein have provided new, sensitive bioassays that help to explain the in vivo effects.