Effects of cigarette smoke on lung antioxidant defences, induction of goblet cell metaplasia and micropapillomatosis in DBA/2 and ICR mice

The role of strain differences in the response to cigarette smoke was investigated in mice. Basal total antioxidant capacity of bronchoalveolar lavage (BAL) fluids assessed as “Trolox equivalent antioxidant capacity” in DBA/2 mice was 61±12 nmolTrolox/ml BAL. After acute exposure to cigarette smoke (5 cigarettes within 20 min) the total BAL fluids antioxidant capacity of the DBA/2 mice decreased by 32% (p<0.01). Basal total antioxidant capacity of BAL fluids in ICR mice was similar to that of the DBA/2 mice (63±22 nmolTrolox/ml BAL). However, after acute cigarette smoke ICR mice increased their BAL antioxidant capacity by 57 % (p