title: Interactions of beta-carotene and cigarette smoke in human bronchial epithelial cells.
abstract: Results from recent intervention trials indicated that supplemental beta-carotene enhances lung cancer incidence and mortality among smokers. It was hypothesized that beta-carotene was exerting its deleterious effects through a prooxidant effect in the smoke-exposed lung. To test this hypothesis we examined the interactions of beta-carotene and cigarette smoke in transformed human bronchial epithelial cells. We studied the effects of beta-carotene supplementation on rates of gas phase smoke-induced lipid peroxidation, membrane damage and depletion of endogenous antioxidants in BEAS-2B cells. Gas phase cigarette smoke caused cellular beta-carotene levels to decrease over time. The oxidation of beta-carotene by smoke generated various oxidation products, including 4-nitro-beta-carotene, beta-apo-carotenals and beta-carotene epoxides. Peroxidation of membrane lipids by gas phase smoke progressed at a slower rate than did oxidation of beta-carotene and incorporation of beta-carotene into the cells did not enhance the overall rate of lipid peroxidation. Additionally, lactate dehydrogenase release during smoke exposure was also unaffected by the presence or absence of beta-carotene in cells. beta-Carotene incorporation in cells was not found to accelerate the rates of alpha-tocopherol and glutathione depletion by cigarette smoke. Our results indicate that beta-carotene is more sensitive than lipids to cigarette smoke oxidation, but that this preferential oxidation of beta-carotene does not lead to a prooxidant effect in human bronchial epithelial cells.
authors.affiliation: Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, College of Pharmacy, University of Arizona, Tucson, AZ 85721-0207, USA.
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Arora
authors.forename: C A
authors.initials: CA
authors.lastname: Willhite
authors.forename: D C
authors.initials: DC
authors.lastname: Liebler
mesh_terms: D001980:Bronchi / Q000166:cytology / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000201:enzymology; D002461:Cell Line, Transformed; D004847:Epithelial Cells / Q000187:drug effects / Q000201:enzymology; D006801:Humans; D007770:L-Lactate Dehydrogenase / Q000378:metabolism; D015227:Lipid Peroxidation; D010084:Oxidation-Reduction; D010947:Plants, Toxic; D012906:Smoke; D014026:Nicotiana; D019207:beta Carotene / Q000378:metabolism*
chemical_list: D012906:Smoke; D019207:beta Carotene; D007770:L-Lactate Dehydrogenase