Cellular and molecular mechanisms of cigarette smoke-induced lung damage and prevention by vitamin C

TLDR: p-Benzosemiquinone appears to be a major causative factor of cigarette smoke-induced oxidative protein damage that leads to apoptosis and lung injury and the pathophysiological events are prevented by a moderately large dose of vitamin C.

Abstract: Background Cigarette smoke-induced cellular and molecular mechanisms of lung injury are not clear. Cigarette smoke is a complex mixture containing long-lived radicals, including p-benzosemiquinone that causes oxidative damage. Earlier we had reported that oxidative protein damage is an initial event in smoke-induced lung injury. Considering that p-benzosemiquinone may be a causative factor of lung injury, we have isolated p-benzosemiquinone and compared its pathophysiological effects with cigarette smoke. Since vitamin C is a strong antioxidant, we have also determined the modulatory effect of vitamin C for preventing the pathophysiological events.