Effect of sidestream tobacco smoke components on alpha/beta interferon production.

Mouse embryo fibroblast cell cultures were treated with chemicals that are major components of sidestream (passive) cigarette smoke. These components were 4-aminobiphenyl and aniline-HCl. The cultures produced severely reduced levels of alpha/beta interferon after challenge with polyriboinosinic-polyribocytidylic acid when compared to control cultures. Treatment of additional cell cultures with 2-methylquinoline, and intermediate-level component of sidestream tobacco smoke, or hydrazine-sulfate, a minor component of sidestream tobacco smoke but a major component of mainstream (active) tobacco smoke, also resulted in inhibition of interferon induction with polyriboinosinic acid-polyribocytidylic acid. Therefore, treatment of the cell cultures with chemicals that are carcinogenic was equally effective in inhibiting alpha/beta interferon induction without regard to the sidestream or mainstream smoke origin of the chemical.