Abstract
The effect of cigarette smoke on airway resistance was studied in normal adults. The results were as follows :
1. To investigate chronic effect of smoking, airway resistance (Raw) and specific airway conductance (SGaw) were measured in 52 volunteer subjects. There was no differece in Raw or SGaw between non-smokers and moderate smokers.
2. To investigate immediate effect of cigarette smoke on large airways, Raw and SGaw were measured in 26 healthy adults three times, before smoking, 5 and 30 minutes after smoking one cigarette. A significant increase in Raw and a fall in SGaw were confirmed 5 minutes after smoking of one unfiltered cigarette, whereas a filtered cigarette caused no signficant changes in Raw aed SGaw.
3. To evaluate the role of Q-adrenergic input to the bronchial smooth muscles on large airway obstruction caused by cigarette smoke, 5 healthy smokers received propranolol (30mg per os) in advance and 90 minutes later Raw and SGaw were measured before and after smoking of one unfiltered cigarette. Same procedures were repeated using placebo (per os). Smoking after the administration of the drug caused a more pronounced drop in SGaw tnan in pracebo group.
4. Raw and SGaw were measured in 10 patients with bronchial asthma before and after smoking herbal cigarette (made in China). It was confirmed that the herbal cigarette smoking significantly retarded the increase in airway resistance.
