Cigarette smoke is a major risk factor for several diseases, including chronic obstructive pulmonary and cardiovascular diseases. The toxicity of the cigarette smoke can be determined in vitro. The cytotoxicity test of the cigarette smoke is commonly conducted using the cigarette smoke condensate (CSC) and cigarette smoke extract (CSE). The CSC and CSE methods are well known for sampling of the particles and water-soluble compounds in the cigarette smoke, respectively. In this study, the CSC and CSE were analyzed by using a gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS) system equipped with a wax column for separation of the volatile organic compounds. The cytotoxic effect of the CSC and CSE were evaluated thoroughly by comparing the analytical results of the CSC and CSE samples. The total concentration of the volatile organic compounds detected in the CSC sample was similar to that in the CSE sample based on the peak area. Except for the dimethyl sulfoxide solvent, nicotine had the highest concentration in the CSC sample, while acetonitrile had the highest concentration in the CSE sample. The compositions were as follows: (1) CSC sample: 55.8% nicotine, 18.0% nicotyrine, 3.20% 1,2,3-propanetriol, triacetate, 1.28% ethyl chloride, 1.22% phenol, etc. and (2) CSE sample: 18.7% acetonitrile, 18.0% acetone, 12.5% 2-hydroxy-2-methyl-propanenitrile, 8.98% nicotine, 5.86% nicotyrine, etc. In this manner, to accurately examine the cytotoxicity of the cigarette smoke using CSC or CSE, the components and their concentrations in the CSC and CSE samples should be considered.

Cigarette smoking is associated with carcinogenesis owing to the mutagenic and genotoxic effects of cigarette smoke. The aim of this study was to evaluate the mutagenic and genotoxic effects of Korean cigarettes using in vitro assays. We selected 2 types of cigarettes (TL and TW) as benchmark Korean cigarettes for this study, because they represent the greatest level of nicotine and tar contents among Korean cigarettes. Mutagenic potency was expressed as the number of revertants per μg of cigarette smoke condensate (CSC) total particulate matter whereas genotoxic potency was expressed as a concentration-dependent induction factor. The CSC was prepared by the International Organization for Standardization 3308 smoking method. CHO-K1 cells were used in vitro micronucleus (MNvit) and comet assays. Two strains of Salmonella typhimurium (Salmonella enterica subsp.enterica; TA98 and TA1537) were employed in Ames tests. All CSCs showed mutagenicity in the TA98 and TA1537 strains. In addition, DNA damage and micronuclei formation were observed in the comet and MNvit assays owing to CSC exposure. The CSC from the 3R4F Kentucky reference (3R4F) cigarette produced the most severe mutagenic and genotoxic potencies, followed by the CSC from the TL cigarette, whereas the CSC from the TW cigarette produced the least severe mutagenic and genotoxic potencies. The results of this study suggest that the mutagenic and genotoxic potencies of the TL and TW cigarettes were weaker than those of the 3R4F cigarette. Further study on standardized concepts of toxic equivalents for cigarettes needs to be conducted for more extensive use of in vitro tests.