title: Effect of cigarette smoking on haem-oxygenase expression in alveolar macrophages.
abstract: We investigated the effect of chronic cigarette smoking on the expression of haem-oxygenase (HO)-1 and HO-2. Normal subjects and asymptomatic young current smokers with normal lung function tests underwent bronchoalveolar lavage for recovery of macrophages. Reverse transcription/polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) analysis showed no significant difference in HO-1 and HO-2 mRNA expression between the two groups. On the other hand, Western blot analysis showed a significant (P<0.05) reduction of HO-2 protein, but not of HO-1, in alveolar macrophages from smokers compared to normal. There was no significant differences by immunocytochemistry for HO-1 and HO-2 expression between the groups. We concluded that HO-2 expression is reduced in alveolar macrophages of smokers, possibly due to the oxidative stress of cigarette smoke. This may in turn lead to reduced protection against further oxidative insults.
authors.affiliation: Department of Thoracic Medicine, National Heart and Lung Institute, Imperial College School of Medicine, Dovehouse Street, London SW3 6LY, UK.
authors.forename: L
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Atzori
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Caramori
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Lim
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Jazrawi
authors.forename: L
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Donnelly
authors.forename: I
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Adcock
authors.forename: P J
authors.initials: PJ
authors.lastname: Barnes
authors.forename: K F
authors.initials: KF
authors.lastname: Chung
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D015153:Blotting, Western; D001992:Bronchoalveolar Lavage Fluid / Q000166:cytology; D002248:Carbon Monoxide / Q000378:metabolism; D005260:Female; D006419:Heme Oxygenase (Decyclizing) / Q000378:metabolism*; D051547:Heme Oxygenase-1; D006801:Humans; D016676:Macrophages, Alveolar / Q000201:enzymology*; D008297:Male; D008565:Membrane Proteins; D012333:RNA, Messenger / Q000378:metabolism; D020133:Reverse Transcriptase Polymerase Chain Reaction / Q000379:methods; D012907:Smoking / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000473:pathology
chemical_list: D008565:Membrane Proteins; D012333:RNA, Messenger; D002248:Carbon Monoxide; C496541:HMOX1 protein, human; D006419:Heme Oxygenase (Decyclizing); D051547:Heme Oxygenase-1; C105245:heme oxygenase-2