The Immediate Effect on Lung Function of Smoking Filtered and Nonfiltered Cigarettes¹

Abstract

We measured and compared the effect of smoking a filtered and a nonfiltered cigarette on instantaneous maximal expiratory flow rates (Vmax50 and Vmax25) and airway resistance (Raw). We found a significant increase in Raw after both cigarettes, and a small decrease in Vmax50 after smoking the nonfiltered cigarette. The change in Vmax50 after smoking the filtered cigarette was not significant. We suggest, on the basis of these data, that filtered cigarette smoke reduces some of the constituents that cause bronchoconstriction in the large and central airways.

Airways Response to Inhaled Tobacco Smoke: Time Course, Dose Dependence and Effect of Volume History

“…Recently similar results were ob tained after smoking a filtered cigarette with low tar and nicotine content [8]. We postulated that this late bronchodilation could be due to release of cathecolamines by sympathetic ganglia and adrenal medulla (nicotine) or to some unknown component of tobacco.…”

“…This stems from the convic tion that the response to cigarette smoke is an 'irritant' response, mostly mediated through some particulate matter [1,2,21]. In a recent study of airway response to identical cigarettes, one filtered, one unfil tered, we showed a greater increase in air way resistance after smoking the high tar cigarette [8]. The present study, however, shows that the cigarette which caused a sig nificantly different response had an excep tionally low nicotine content.…”

“…Recent observations indicate that fil ters, by reducing the amount of tar. particu late matter and to a lesser extent nicotine, prevent the fall in FEF30 after smoking [8]. The present study also demonstrates that the comparatively less toxic cigarette (1A1) although capable of causing an increase in Raw had no significant effect on the f e f 30.…”

“…Recently [8] we observed that filters reduce the bronchoconstrictive effect of tobacco smoke and eliminate the de- crease of the instantaneous flow at 50°/o of the vital capacity (FEF50) previously de scribed [3]. Since the filters decreased main ly the tar and particulate matter content of the cigarettes we postulated, as others have, that the bronchoconstriction induced by smoking is due to stimulation of the vagal irritant receptors in the airways by particu late matter [1,8,21]. To our knowledge, the relative contribution of nicotine, tar and particulate matter to this bronchocon strictive response has not been investigated.…”

Effect of Smoking a Cigarette on the Density Dependence of Maximal Expiratory Flow

“…Therefore, we postulated that the effect on the FEF50 was consistent with the constriction of the large and central airways because at this lung volume the airways resistor includes lobar and segmental bronchi [3,7].…”