Exposure to cigarette smoke extract and lipopolysaccharide modifies cytoskeleton organization in bronchial epithelial cells

The integrity of the respiratory epithelium is crucial for airway homeostasis. Tobacco smoke exposure and recurrent infections of the airways play a crucial role in the progression and in the decline of the respiratory function in chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). The aim of this study was to detect differentially expressed proteins in a bronchial epithelial cell line (16-HBE) stimulated with cigarette smoke extract (CSE) and lipopolysaccharide (LPS), a constituent of gram-negative bacteria, alone and/or in combination, by using two-dimensional electrophoresis (2DE) analysis coupled with matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization time-of-flight mass spectrometry. Western blot a…