Effects of tobacco smoke compounds on the noradrenaline induced oxidative metabolism in isolated brown fat cells.

The effect on cell metabolism of 320 individual smoke components have been investigated by measuring their inhibition of noradrenaline induced respiration in isolated hamster brown fat cells. The compounds are representative of the gaseous and semivolatile phases of tobacco smoke. The strongest inhibitors were found within the groups of aliphatic alcohols, aldehydes and acids, of alkylated phenols and indoles and of alpha,beta-unsaturated aliphatic aldehydes and ketones. Some of the aliphatic aldehydes and acids significantly increased the basal respiration of the cells, probably by acting as substrates and/or uncoupling of mitochondrial respiratory control.