Tobacco Documents Online

t[R lfa ~-~ 0 ~9' C C Harvard Medical School - Mount Auburn Hospital DEPARTMENT OF MEDICIPnIE GARY L. HUBER, M.D., DIRECTOR Smoking and Health Research Program Hamard Medical School at Mount Auburn Hospital January 21, 1980, Dr. Alexander Spears Lorillard Research Division Greensboro, North Carolina 27420 Mount Auburn Hospital 330 Mount'A'uburn Street CamGradge, Massachusetts 02138 617-661'-1158 Thank you for your telephone call regarding my trip to Lorillard on February 4, 1980. I look forward to the visit very much, as funded by both the industry and by other sources. My remarks will be divided in time approximately equally between our studies on tobacco smoke and cardiovascular function and on tobacco smoke and the lung. aur effortss in each case involve research~on man under experimental conditions, and on animal models designed to answer specific questions where answars cannot be obtained from humans. - It will be my intent to present a summary of the efforts of our tobacco and health research program at Harvard University over the past several years, genesis. As more data are generated, however, it appears that this investigation is not conclusive. Studies in man, on the other hand, suggest that there are components other than nicotine in tobacco smoke, or responses to the act of smoking itself, that have a cardiac inotropic or chronotropic effect. Additional research includes our studies on the effect of acute and chronic exposure to tobacco on myocardial metabolism. The studies on cardiovascular function involve a number of related but distinct topics. Of primary importance is our research on experimental atherogenesis and tobacco smoke. Although we will not be able to share with you completely yet our final results, it appears at this time that nicotine, but not carbon monoxide, in~tobacco smoke may affect adversely rates of athero- Our research in the area of lung function has-.been more extensive and of longer duration. The studi~es on man involve characterization~of smoking behavior, correlations of smoking behavior with lung physiology, and the effect of nicotine content of tobacco cigarette smoke on~how humans smoke. We also have developed some new technologies in tobacco smoke chemistry analysis. These particular studies have, I believe, profound implications. Our studies on experimental animal models, tobacco smoke, and the lung probably represent our most important effort. We have been interested in the host defenses of the respiratory system (we have a monograph on this coming out in a month or so) and their adpatation to tobacco smoke. Some rather interesting results have developed from this research. Of special O W ~ O N N

c Dr. Alexander Spears- January 21, 1980 - _ Page 2 interest are our studies on tobacco smoke and experimental emphysema, which have progressed considerably since we last discussed'them with members of the tobacco industry or, for that matter, with the academic community. On~three separate occasions, now, we have been ablie to reproduce our inital results and to expand the studies considerably to answer satisfactorily significant questions that have been raised about them. The liesions can be inducedlin animals by whole tobacco smoke from research cigarettes, but not by tobacco smoke gas phase or by other smoking products. Considerations of diet, sham conditions, and other variables have been carefully controlled. Significantly, it appears that emphysema also can be induced by some commercial cigarettes of relatively high "tar" delivery, but not by commercial cigarettes of low "tar" delivery. Considerable emphasis has been placed on clarifying the pathogenic mechanisms involved inithese processes. I will try to make my presentations brief, and allow ample time for discussions. I will also try to place our efforts, and your expenditures, in appropriate perspective to the needs for research in this general area nationally. Finally, and by far most importantly, I will make specific, goal-directed recommendations to your company. There will be very little, if anything, in my presentation that is not now in print or will be published by us this year. I I will plan to arrive on February 3 and to leave on February 4. If you have a suggestion for a place to stay, I will be appreciative. Regarding Arthur Stevens' comments on an honorarium, I would rather not have that be a consideration. As the Principal Investigator on the Harvard University Smoking and Health Research Program, which your company has generously helped sponsor, it is both my responsibilty and my privilege to be able to share our progress with you. Thank you for your interest. I look forward to seeing you in Greensboro. Sincerely, 6~ a1" 7 Gary L. Huber, M.Di., Director Smoking and Health Research Programi GLH':mtc cc: L. Stanford A. Stevens

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