Cigarette smoke impairs elastin resynthesis in lungs of hamsters with elastase-induced emphysema.
The severity of pulmonary emphysema can be affected by exposure to cigarette smoke in several ways. Inactivation of alpha-1-antitrypsin and recruitment of leukocytes to lung airways shifts the protease-antiprotease balance towards increased elastolytic activity. The present study demonstrates an additional effect of cigarette smoke inhalation and retardation of the repair process and of the neosynthesis of cross-linked elastin. Hamsters with elastase-induced emphysema, exposed to cigarette smoke for 1 wk immediately after elastase administration, showed a 40% reduction of 14C-lysine incorporation into the elastin-specific cross-links, desmosine, and isodesmosine. Concomitantly, there was a decrease in the level of lung lysyl oxidase to that observed in uninjured control animals, in sharp contrast to the sevenfold increase in lysyl oxidase activity in hamsters with elastase-induced emphysema recovering under atmospheric conditions. These findings suggest that impairment of the production of lysyl oxidase and the resynthesis of cross-linked elastin by smoke inhalation exacerbates alveolar destruction.
D000818:Animals; D006224:Cricetinae; D003895:Desmosine / Q000378:metabolism; D004549:Elastin / Q000037:antagonists & inhibitors* / Q000096:biosynthesis; D005260:Female; D007524:Isodesmosine / Q000378:metabolism; D008168:Lung / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000473:pathology; D008239:Lysine / Q000378:metabolism; D008647:Mesocricetus; D010196:Pancreatic Elastase; D010947:Plants, Toxic; D011656:Pulmonary Emphysema / Q000139:chemically induced / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000473:pathology; D012906:Smoke / Q000009:adverse effects*; D014026:Nicotiana
D012906:Smoke; D003895:Desmosine; D004549:Elastin; D007524:Isodesmosine; D010196:Pancreatic Elastase; D008239:Lysine