Cigarette smoke-induced injury of peritoneal mesothelial cells.

Cultured rat peritoneal mesothelial cells have been exposed to plasma obtained from healthy adult male volunteers before and after the smoking of two medium-tar cigarettes. The pre-smoking plasma had little effect on the mesothelial cells as observed by scanning electron microscopy. Post-smoking plasma produced extensive cellular damage evidenced by the production of blebs and microvillus-like structures on the cell surface. Some cells were also found to have a perforated luminal membrane. These results suggest that factors cytotoxic for these cells are present in plasma following exposure of humans to cigarette smoke.