Cigarette smoke, cellular involvement

Cardiovascular Effects. PAHs are contained in cigarette smoke, and smoking is a well-established risk factor in the development of atherosclerosis. Arterial smooth muscle cell proliferation, collagen synthesis, lipid accumulation, and cellular necrosis are all involved in the pathogenesis of the atherosclerotic plaque. In v//ro studies conducted using bovine, rabbit, and human smooth muscle cells from arteries demonstrated that benzopyrene affects some of the aforementioned processes. 

Detmar et al. (2008), when analyzing the effects of the PAHs present in the cigarette smoke on placenta cells of murine observed alterations in the cell death rates (decrease of the rates) and changes in the expression and in activity of the key proteins of the physiologic control of cell death (increase in the expression of the antiapoptotic levels and decrease of the proapoptotic levels). According to the authors, several PAHs are ligands of the aryl hydrocarbon receptors (AhR), a cellular sensor of xenbiotics responsible for the activation of the metabolic machinery that is involved in innumerous cellular process such as death, survival and cellular stress answers. 

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