Carbonylation caused by cigarette smoke extract is associated with defective macrophage immunity

Abstract

Oxidants in cigarette smoke inhibit pathogen recognition receptor function and phagocytosis, but the molecular basis of this inhibition remains obscure. We sought to identify the inhibitory mechanisms that impair alveolar macrophage function. Balb/c mice were acutely exposed to four cigarettes for 4 hours before treatment with intranasal LPS (1 μg). The mice exhibited significantly reduced airway neutrophilia and expression of TNF-α. Balb/c-derived MH-S alveolar macrophage cells exposed to cigarette smoke extract (CSE) displayed a similar inhibitory response to stimulation with LPS. The induction of inflammatory genes by recombinant (r)TNF-α (100 ng/ml) was also impaired by CSE. Because both..