title: Pulmonary toxicity of chronic exposure to tobacco and biomass smoke in rats.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  The objective of this study was to examine the separate and combined effects of tobacco and biomass smoke exposure on pulmonary histopathology in rats.
  
  
  BACKGROUND
  In addition to smoking, indoor pollution in developing countries contributes to the development of respiratory diseases.
  
  
  METHODS
  Twenty-eight adult rats were divided into four groups as follows: control group (Group I, no exposure to tobacco or biomass smoke), exposed to tobacco smoke (Group II), exposed to biomass smoke (Group III), and combined exposure to tobacco and biomass smoke (Group IV). After six months the rats in all four groups were sacrificed. Lung tissue samples were examined under light microscopy. The severity of pathological changes was scored.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Group II differed from Group I in all histopathological alterations except intraparenchymal vascular thrombosis. There was no statistically significant difference in histopathological changes between the subjects exposed exclusively to tobacco smoke (Group II) and those with combined exposure to tobacco and biomass smoke (Group IV). The histopathological changes observed in Group IV were found to be more severe than those in subjects exposed exclusively to biomass smoke (Group III).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Chronic exposure to tobacco and biomass smoke caused an increase in severity and types of lung injury.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Exposure to cigarette smoke caused serious damage to the respiratory system, particularly with concomitant exposure to biomass smoke.
authors.affiliation: Department of Chest Diseases, Faculty of Medicine, Cumhuriyet University, Sivas, Turkey.
authors.forename: Omer Tamer
authors.initials: OT
authors.lastname: Dogan
authors.forename: Sahande
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Elagoz
authors.forename: Sefa Levent
authors.initials: SL
authors.lastname: Ozsahin
authors.forename: Kursat
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Epozturk
authors.forename: Ersin
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Tuncer
authors.forename: Ibrahim
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Akkurt
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D008168:Lung / Q000473:pathology*; D051381:Rats; D017208:Rats, Wistar; D012720:Severity of Illness Index; D012907:Smoking / Q000009:adverse effects; D013997:Time Factors; D014028:Tobacco Smoke Pollution / Q000009:adverse effects*; D014026:Nicotiana
chemical_list: D014028:Tobacco Smoke Pollution