Impairment of Endothelial Function by Cigarette Smoke Is Not Caused by a Specific Smoke Constituent, but by Vagal Input From the Airway.

There is no single constituent or class of constituents responsible for acute impairment of endothelial function by smoke; rather, we propose that acute endothelial dysfunction by disparate inhaled products is caused by vagus nerve signaling initiated by airway irritation.