Abstract
The composition of glycoproteins and the activities of glycosidases were studied in bronchoalveolar lavages from both smoking and nonsmoking baboons. After separation from cells by centrifugation, the cell-free lavage from smokers had significantly (P < 0.05) greater amounts of total hexoses, hexosamine and fucose and lesser amounts of sialic acid as percent of protein than in materials from controls. A six-fold increase (P < 0.003) inβ-N-acetylhexos-aminidase and a two-fold increase (P < 0.01) inβ-glucuronidase activities were noted in lavages from smokers. The activity of intracellularβ-galactosidase for the smokers was nine-fold less (P < 0.003) than for the controls. Since these enzymes are important in glycoprotein metabolism, a study of their activities should contribute to understanding the effect of smoking on connective tissue of lung.
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