Effects of tobacco smoke exposure on splenic architecture and weight, during the primary immune response of BALB/c mice

Mice exposed to tobacco smoke (TS) for 3 days or 18 or 28 weeks, prior to SRBC inoculation, subsequently displayed less pronounced and/or “shorter‐lived” splenomegaly than age matched controls. In addition mice exposed to TS for three days or 18 weeks displayed a reduction in both the magnitude and duration of the primary immune response as evidenced by the pattern of expansion of splenic white pulp and “RNA‐rich” white pulp volumes. In contrast mice exposed to TS for 28 weeks, prior to inoculation, displayed white pulp and “RNA‐rich” white pulp volumes similar to those of control mice.