Induction of aryl hydrocarbon hydroxylase in human pulmonary alveolar macrophages and peripheral lymphocytes by cigarette tars.

Cigarette smoking is associated with alterations in pulmonary alveolar macrophages (PAMs), including increased cytoplasmic inclusions and induction of the aryl hydrocarbon hydroxylase (AHH) system. Nonpigmented PAMs from nonsmokers were able to ingest and accumulate pigment from lysed PAMs of smokers, however, this pigment did not induce AHH activity in either PAMs or peripheral lymphocytes. In contrast, the cigarette tars significantly induced AHH levels in PAMs and in peripheral lymphocytes from either nonsmokers or smokers. This provides further evidence that components in cigarette smoke can explain the in vivo induction of AHH documented in cells from smokers.