Acute and Chronic Environmental Tobacco Smoke Condensate Exposure to Primary Human Bronchial Epithelial Cells

The goal was to assess global gene expression changes in primary human bronchial epithelial cells exposed to environmental tobacco smoke (ETS) condensate. ETS-C was standardized by HPLC analysis and two timepoints of exposure in two different donor bronchial epithelial cell populations were assessed. These findings demonstrate that even short exposure (4.5 h) to ETS is sufficient to induce a stress response, as reflected by decreased antioxidant levels, induced HSP family members, and modulation of the family of glutathione metabolism enzymes in primary human lung cells. Upon longer exposures (48 h) with ETS-condensate, bronchial epithelial cells arrest at the G2/M phase of the cell cycle. Taken together, these data support a stress-induced state in primary human bronchial epithelial cells that culminates in cell cycle arrest. Keywords: time course, comparative, stress response Two donors and two time points of exposure were assessed by hybridizing to filter arrays. Each biological sample was exposed and hybridized in triplicate to the same filter array. A total of four filter arrays were used. Filter arrays were stripped per manufacturer's recommendations.