Cardiomyopathy produced by cigarette smoke. Ultrastructural observations in guinea pigs.

Guinea pigs were restrained in a smoking machine and were exposed to the smoke of eight cigarettes a day, five days a week for 12 to 15 weeks. One group of animals inhaled filtered smoke from which most of the tar and nicotine had been removed. Heart weight of the smoking animals was found to be significantly increased in both the filtered and unfiltered groups. Toxic changes were evident in myocardial mitochondria that were associated with edema, increased lipid and enhanced autophagolysosomal activity. The observed cardiomyopathy is probably caused by carbon monoxide and resembles the changes of chronic intermittent hypoxia.