Bliley RJReynolds
Report Concerning Scientists and Scientific Research Prepared by Litigation Consultant Performing Work at the Request of Jones Day (RJR Outside Legal Counsel) Providing Confidential Information, Analyses, and Opinions to RJR Outside Legal Counsel to Assist in the Rendering of Legal Advice in Connection with Ongoing Litigation.
User-Contributed Notes
- This is a report by a scientific consultant evaluating the RJR biological research program. It suggests that "bad results" were not the reason to close the program.
Fields
- Author
- Brubaker, P.E.
- Pe Brubaker Assoc
- Recipient
- Mcdermott, R.F.
- Mcelveen, J.C. Jr
- Bordenave, C.G.
- Jones Day
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PRIVILEGED & CONFIDENTIAL
REI~RT
The R.J. Reynold's Tobacco Company's
Biology Research Division
A Program Review
1965-1970
Prepared lot
R. F. McDermott, Esq.
J. C McElvaln, Esq.
C Bordenave, ~sq.
Jon.es, Day, .Reavi_s & Pogue
_ Metropolitan Square
655 Fifteenth Street, N.W.
Washington, D.C. 20005-5701
by
Paul E. Brubaker, Ph.D.
Principal
P. F, Brubaker Associates, Inc.
3 Halstead Road
Mendham, N.J_. 07945
201-543-5108
December 15th, 1985

R. F. McDermott, Esq.
RJR-BRD Report
PRIVILEGED & CONFIDENTIAL
15 December 1985
Sum mary Statements and Conclusion~.
This report, presents our analysis of the goals and objectives of the
Biological Research Division (BRD) as well as the type of research it
performed with special emphasis given to that research which either
directly or indirectly was related to Smoking and Health issues and with a
view towards providing insight into the establishment of this Division in
1965 and its subsequent closing in 1970.We conclude that the weight of
the scientific information contained within the BRD archives will not pose
problems in devising defensive legal strategies againsl claims of harm due
to defective product design. Specific conclusions from the various research
areas are as follows:
I. From
the Smoke Irritancy research projects.
Biological tissues does not recognize tar from various of R JR
and Competitor's brands of cigarettes as anything more than a
non-specific irritant.
Tar from various brands of of R JR and Competitor's cigarettes
induces a biological response that is distinctly different from
known reactions caused by mineral dusts and,fibers like silica and
certain forms of asbestos.
Since there was no difference in the irritation response or tars from
various brands of cigarettes containing high, medium and low
levels of Nicotine, Nicotine is in the gas phase of whole cigarette
smoke. Other irritant studies with the gas phase in this series
would conclude the same.
Menthol and Clyclamin Aldehyde sigt~I'ic~mtly reduce the irritation
properties of tar from various brands of R JR and Competitor's
brands of cigarettes.
Inc.

R. F. McDer mutt, Esq.
RJR-BRD Report
PRIVILEGED & CONFIDENTIAL
15 December 1985
2. From
the Tryptophan Research projects.
High levels of Tryptophan, an essential amino acid required for
good nutrition, in the diet can increase the level of carcinogenic
derivatives of this substance in smokers and during periods when
they are not smoking,
There is no evidence in the reports that smoking and consumption
of high levels of Tryptophan causes cancer in the bladder as had
been suggested by Canadian esearch physician in 1964.
Diet can affect the metabolism of smokers in a highly variable
fashion.
The biochemical hypothesis that smoking affected the the
metabolism of Tryptophan could not be verified by the BRD
research team.
3. From
the Polonium research area.
Environmental pollution may render tobacco, and other crops for
that matter, unfit for use by contamination with radioactive
materials that belong to the Radon family of radioactive
substances, Polonium-210 and Lead-210.
Polonium-2 I0 and Lead-210 are occupational and environmental
contaminates that have been known to cause cancer in the same
areas of the lungs that have been associated with cigarette smoking
for at least 200 years, long before cigarettes went on the market.
Efforts to remove Polonium-210 and lead-210 from tobacco
below background levels were not successful.
Blending, curing and storage bring levels down to where no
adverse effects are thought occur.
ii,
BrulmkeP Associotes. Inc.

R. F. McDermott, Esq.
RJR-BRD Report
PRIVILEGED & CONFIDENTIAL
15 December 1985
3.0 From Dr. Johnson's Chronic Smoking Series.
This work used worst-case levels of cigarette smoke exposure as is
evidenced from the smoking machine studies where a I to I 0
dilution of smoke from RJR brands delivered 10 times as much tar
as a human smoking one cigarette.
Alternative means of exposure that involved inserting tubes in the
throat or nasal passages and delivery smoke directly into the lungs
by-passing key nerve endings that regulate breathing rate and
affects how much tar would be delivered to the lungs is also a
worst-case exposure method that nullifies extrapolating
meaningful results to the human smoker. The human counter-part
would be a smoker with a tracheotomy smoking through the
surgical opening in his throat.
Exposure to whole cigarette smoke under these worst case
exposure conditions appeared to cause a tranquilizing affect
thought by Dr. Johnson to result from stimulation of the vagus
nerve. This nerve acts to sedate the body by reducing heart rate
and stimulating digestive tract and salivary glands. This explains
why the rabbits in these studies and Dr. Colucci's work did not lose
weight and why some of the animals died of heart attacks. At times
Dr. Johnson observed a 65% reduction in heart rate of some of his
animals.
Hyperplasia or increased size and number of cells in the
respiratory airways observed in these animals is consistent
with a non-specific irritant effect and not necessarily a signal of
tu mot for marion. In fact, no cancer or cancer-type growth was
reported in any of the animals that were exposed to worst-ease
smoking conditions for more than half their lifetime.
III,
)
Brubakor Associatos. Inc.

R. F. McDer mutt, Esq.
RJR-BRD Report
PR I V I LEGED & CONF| DENT l AL
15 December 1985
Dr. Johnson felt that under these worst case exposure conditions it
would take smoking 4 to 6 WINSTON 85 mm filter kings for 6 to 7
months to produce emphysema-like changes in the lungs of
rabbits. However, no studies were ever performed using a positive
control where actual emphysema is produced so that comparisons
could be made to verify that his observation were right. Therefore,
it is uncertain as to whether or not emphysema had been
induced. The same conclusion applies to Dr. Colucci and Dr.Simmons
work.
4.0 From the Colucci Chronic Smoking Studies.
Working just over 90 day exposure periods, half the exposure
period Dr. Johnson thought needed to produce lung damage, Dr.
Colucci demonstrated significant changes in the capacity of the
lungs of rabbits to manufacture fat; fat the lungs need to maintain
a normal healthy function. Although he, and later Dr. Simmons
speculates that these changes could have grave metabolic
consequences, no pathology of the lungs of these animals was ever
confirmed. These changes could only be linked to emphysema on
purely a theoretical basis and were never confirmed in fact by
further studies. Therefore, this work is a best preliminary in
nature.
Smoking reduced the capacity of the lungs of some of Dr. Colucci's
rabbits to make fat from Palmitic Acid, a smoke constituent like
the vitamin Nicotinic Acid that has nutritional value. One use of
Palmitic Acid is to make the kinds a fat that go into making
membranes; i.e. the phospholipids. One way to think of cancer is
uncontrolled cell growth. Cancer would require phospholipds to
make new cell membranes. Since smoking caused a reduction in
phospholipids in the lung, therefore, it theoretically also reduced
the capacity of these organs in these animals to develop cancer.
iV.
Brubaker Associates. Inc.

R. F. McDer mort, Esq.
RJR-BRD Report
PRI V ILEGED & CONFID]~NTI AL
15 December 1985
5.0. From the Dr. Simmons Work on Surfactant.
Damage to the film that lines the deep interior surfaces of lung,
a.k.a, surfactant, was thought to arise from direct action
of inhaled gases and irritants on the film itself, from interference
with the synthesis of the film by cells in the wails of the lungs, or
by interference with those factors that are involved with its
removal, factors needed to make sure just the right amount is
maintained for normal healthy conditions. These changes were
thought to be involved in giving rise to emphysema. Dr. Simmons
did not demonstrate that worse case chronic smoking caused such
effects.
6.0. On the Closing of BRD Operations.
We are also not convinced after all of the research we reviewed in
the Smoking and Health area that BRD was closed because of
unfavorable results from their smoking and health research
activities. Simply stated, the Smoking and Health research program
had not fully matured and was only in its infancy when the doors
closed.
We found no evidence in the reports that we reviewed, including
those of BRD's scientific directors and managers, that results of the.
smoking and health was causing problems.
On the contrary, our impressions of the Smoking and Health
research program was one of an optimistic tone stimulated by the
prospect of finally placing the biology of smoking on sound
scientific grounds. Our review of the work they performed in this
area, we feel, justifies their optimism and even offers new and
exciting evidence suggesting that smoking may not be a primary
carcinogen. We refer to the smoke irritancy research effort.
V.
Br-ubak:or ~a~a~ocia~.o~. Ir~o.

R. F. McDermott, Esq.
R JR-BRD Report
PRIVIL~ED & CONFIDENTIAL
15 D~cember 1985
Based on our analysis, we have found that the BRD was first and
foremost a research and development operation. The research it performed
was primarily concerned with screening chemicals isolated from tobacco
for commercial applications in the speciality chemical markets or the
pharmaceutical industry. Its' other focal points were fermentation research
and providing quality control testing services for various RJR internal
operating units as well as R JR affiliated companies. These support services
range from water quality testing to tobacco beetle control, a program that
continued through the entire BRD operational period. Although Smoking
and Health research activities was a major reason why this unit was
created, it never appears to have gone beyond 30% of BRD's research
activities.
Until 1966, the Smoking and Health research within this Division was
largely a reactionary one. The attempts to confirm the biochemical
hypothesis that smoking could cause bladder cancer by changing the way
the body handles one of its essential nutrients is an example of this type of
research. Recognizing the need to place the biology of smoking on firm
scientific ground they set out to study the effects of chronic smoking on the
lungs in various experimental animals. This was a carefully planned and
well orchestrated research effort, exemplified by the work of Dr. Colucci
beginning in 1967.
In so far as causation is concerned, BRD did not plan or carry out any
research designed to determine if smoking would cause cancer in the lungs
or any other organ for that matter. We feel confident in making the same
statement about chronic, pulmonary diseases like emphysema. In fact, as
we mentioned, we have uncovered evidence, crude though it may be,
which we feel draws a biological distinction between the mechanisms of
tobacco tar and mineral dusts like silica and asbestos act in the body.
Specifically, cigarette smoke tar appears to induce a non-specific irritant
type of reaction in tissues much in the same way as other known chemical
irritants behave. Excessive and. prolonged smoking or continued exposure
to poor air quality either in the workplace or outdoors will cause
non-specific irritation of lungs.
vi.
Bs-ul~ak er Annociates, Inc.

R. F. McDermott, Esq.
RJR-.BRD Report
P RI V I LEGED & CON FI DENT I AL
15 December 1985
Based on the biology we have reviewed, the body does not appear to
recognize cigarette tar condensate as a foreign body to be attack with a full
scale inflammatory reaction involving immune neutralization and rejection.
Mineral dusts apparently due. Tt~erefore, we suggest that breathing
mineral dusts predisposes the lungs to more harmful effects than normally
would occur from breathing non-specific irritants like tobacco smoke. In
other words, the cart is before the horse, should this evidence prove to be
valid with further research. It suggests that on the issues of synergy and
causation, separating asbestos effects from those of smoking can be done
on a scientifically valid basis since they appear to interact with tissues by
lwo entirely distinct mechanisms.
The BRD approach to Smoking and Health emphasized at the outset
was to select methods that would simulate the exposure conditions of the
human smoker. The Physiology Section began by developing a smoking
machine in 1967. After several pilot studies were tried and the smoking
machine failed, alternative methods of exposure were used. These methods
involved inserting a thin plastic tube in the throat of rats and inserting a
tube in the nose of rabbits and delivering measured amounts of smoke
directly into the animals lungs. While it has some distinct advantages in
that you could be sure the smoke went into the lungs. It had some
disadvantages as well since it by-passed the nose and sinus areas of the
upper respiratory tract; areas equipped with nerves that govern breathing
rate and therefore particle deposition. It also tends to compromise the use
of information developed from such procedures.
Nevertheless, the procedures and operations of BRD were similar to
those used in o~.her laboratories at that time and are far better than
painting smoke condensate on the skin of mice and inferring what might
happen in the lungs. Other summary statements and comments can be
found in various sections of the text.
vii.
B~ubaker A~oc|ate~. Inc.

R. F. McDermott, Esq.
RJR-BRD Report
PRIVILEGED & CONFIDENTIAL
15 December 1985
Contents.
1.0. Purpose of Report
...............................................................................................
2.0. Scope
....................................................................................................
....................
3.0. Bladder Cancer
.................................................................................................
3. I. Introduction
............................................................................................
3.2. Origins of the Tryptophan Studies ................................................
3.3. The Tryptohan Tresearch .................................................................
3.4. ResuIIs
....................................................................................................
...
3.5. Summary Statements .........................................................................
4.0. Polonium in Tobacco
......................................................................................
4. I. Introduction (Radon)
..........................................................................
4.2. Exposure & Effects
...............................................................................
4.3. Research Program
................................................................................
4.4. Sum mary Statements
.........................................................................
5.0. Smoke Mildness Studies and Cancer ......................................................
5.1. Introduction
............................................................................................
5.2. Method Development & Performance ..........................................
5.3. Summary Statements
..........................................................................
6,0,
7,0,
Introduction
....................................................................................................
...... 1.0
3.0
3.0
8.0
9.0
I 1.0
13.0
14.0
20.0
22.0
22.0
26.0
29.0
30.0
32.0
32.0
35.0
43.0
5.4. Commentary
............................................................................................ 48.0
The chronic Smoking Series ........................................................................
53.0
6. I. Orienlation
................................................................................................
54.0
6.2. Ciliastasis and the Chronic Smoking Studies .............................. 60.0
~).3. Ciliastasis Projects and Interpretation ......................................... 63.0
.4. Summary Statements and Comments ............................................ 67.0
The E~arlySmoking Studies ..........................................................................
73.0
7.1. The Smoking Machine .........................................................................
73.0
7.2. Smoking Machine Studies and Comments .................................. 74.0
7.3. _The Thiocyanate Studies ....................................................................
78.0
7.4. The Colucci Studies of the Biochemistry Section ..................... 79.0
7.5. Overview of the Colucci Studies ..................................................... 79.0
7.6. Colucci Design Features and Background .................................... 86.0
The Colucci Fate Studies
................................................................................ 107.0
8.1. Palmitic Acid and Lipogenesis ........................................................ 109.0
The Chronic Smoking Studies .....................................................................
111.0
9. I. Orientation
................................................................................................
112.0
9.2. Palmitic Acid Distribution Studies .................................................. I 13.0
9.3. Chronic Lipogenesis Studies and Analysis .................................. 118.0
9.4. Surfactant Studies and Analysis ...................................................... 124.0
9.5. Summary Statements and Comments ............................................. 130.0
ao
B~ubskor ksmocimtot, imc.

R. F. McDermott, Esq.
RJR-BRD Report
PRIVILEGED,& CONFIDENTIAL
15 December 1985
I 0.0. Operations .............................................
............................................................ 133.0
10. I. Orientation
.............................................................................................. 134.0
10.2. Historical Perspectives
...................................................................... 139.0
10.2.1. Summary Statements ........................................................ 140.0
10.3. Early Research Objectives
................................................................. ! 41.0
10.4. Smoking and Health Studies ...........................................................
142.0
10.6 Reasons for BRD's Proposed Expansion ....................................... 142.0
10.7. Why BRD was Created
....................................................................... 143.0
10.8. BRD Staffing Plans
................................................................................ 145.0
10.9. Why BRD was Closed
............................................................................ 140.0
Appendices
1.0. projecl Re_quest
...........................................................................................
2.0. Index to Tryptophan Studies ............................................................... 5.0
3.0. Index to Chronic Smoking Studies ..................................................... to.0
4.0. Index to Colucci & Bumgarner Chronic Lipid Studies ................
5.0. Index to Colucci & Simmons Chronic Lipid Studies .................... 22.0
6.0. Histroical RJR R&D Program ..................................................................
31.0
7.0. BRD Personnel Profile
.............................................................................. 32.0
8.0. BRD Research Objectives
........................................................................
9.0. Personnel Expansion Profile ..................................................................
36.0
bo
Brubsker Asse©iste=. I=¢.
