Protein biosynthesis by the pulmonary alveolar macrophage: conditions of assay and the effects of cigarette smoke extracts.

Abstract

The quantitative and qualitative patterns of protein synthesis by the pulmonary alveolar macrophage were investigated by measuring the uptake of radioactive leucine into protein. A preliminary analysis comparing noninduced and bacille Calmette Guerin-induced cells (BCG cells) indicated that the 2 groups of cells have similar qualitative and quantitative protein synthetic patterns, although the BCG cells were able to synthesize protein for longer periods of time. The ability of pulmonary alveolar macrophage to incorporate radioactive leucine into protein in the presence and absence of aqueous smoke extracts was then studied in detail. Smoke extracts affected the time course and the extent of incorporation of radioactive leucine into protein, causing an inhibition of incorporation after approximately 15 min of incubation. The inhibitory effect was directly proportional to the amount of smoke extract and was at least partially reversible. Cells treated with smoke extracts released a greater percentage of the...