The Effect of Tobacco on Normal Oral Epithelial Cells and Fibroblasts
Smokeless tobacco usage is a growing public health concern in the United States. Lesions of the oral cavity have been clearly linked to smokeless tobacco use. The objective of this study was to investigate the effects of smokeless tobacco extract (STE) exposure upon normal oral epithelial cells (OEP) and gingival fibroblast (FIB) cultures. OEP and FIB were exposed to a 10% concentration of STE over a time-course of 2 to 4 days. Following each exposure we measured p53, BCL-2, and BAX expression. Furthermore, we evaluated morphological changes in OEP and FIB. Immunoblotting of OEPs with BCL-2, BAX, and p53 antibodies showed that STE up-regulated BAX and p53 levels in OEPs after day 2, however BCL-2 levels were transiently elevated and declined on day 4. STE did not significantly alter levels of BCL-2, BAX, and p53 in the FIB. The results from this study suggest that STE induces cell death in OEP by up-regulation of the pro-apoptotic molecule BAX and tumor suppressor mo! lecule p53.
