Acrolein and cell cycle.

Acrolein, a potent cilioinhibitor of cigarette smoke was tested on synchronously dividing cultures. Mitosis could be blocked whenever the addition of acrolein was made during the cell cycle but this effect was totally reversible (between 0.06 microgram/ml to 1 microgram/ml). Nucleic acid syntheses were more affected than protein syntheses but the syntheses were only delayed and they resumed simultaneously during the same cycle.