Abstract
IN previous reports1,2 from this laboratory no evidence was found of irreversible impairment of mucociliary clearance in humans as the result of prolonged tobacco smoking. This does not exclude the possibility that temporary slowing occurs after each smoke, followed by recovery between smokes or overnight. Although this has not been demonstrated previously in humans, many experiments on animals3,4 or with excised epithelium5,6 have shown reversible slowing of ciliary activity on exposure to tobacco smoke. In postulating a relation between ciliary stasis and lung cancer, Hilding7 had in mind irreversible damage, but even temporary slowing of the mucous flow would increase the exposure of bronchial epithelium to inhaled noxious substances and carcinogens, thereby increasing the likelihood of bronchitis and carcinoma of the lung.
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PAVIA, D., THOMSON, M. & POCOCK, S. Evidence for Temporary Slowing of Mucociliary Clearance in the Lung caused by Tobacco Smoking. Nature 231, 325–326 (1971). https://doi.org/10.1038/231325a0
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/231325a0
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