133 



ronmental tobacco smoke or what is also known as side-stream 

 smoke? 



Mr. DeNoble. Can you give me a moment, please, Sir? Can I 

 take a moment? 



Mr. Waxman. Yes. 



[Mr. DeNoble confers with Mr. Mele.] 



Mr. DeNoble. We are aware of a research project using a plant 

 called Tradesscantia. And the goal of that project was to look at the 

 effects of side-stream smoke on the plant's ability to either repro- 

 duce or repair itself. 



Mr. Waxman. Do you know who was conducting that research 

 project? 



Mr. DeNoble. I don't know the specific name. It was under the 

 control of Dr. Jim Charles in the biochemistry department, but I 

 cannot remember the specific scientist's name. 



Mr. Waxman. OK. Dr. Mele, do you have any information on 

 that? 



Mr. Mele. It was, I believe, Dr. Terry Loo, or Terry Woo, a fe- 

 male researcher. 



Mr. Waxman. And what do either of you know about this re- 

 search? What can you tell us about it? 



Mr. Mele. I remember one briefing of the biochemical research 

 division where slides were presented of these plants in closed con- 

 tainers. The plants exposed to the side stream smoke were seri- 

 ously debilitated, wilted, and so forth. Plants exposed to — it was ei- 

 ther mainstream smoke or fresh air — I believe there was a com- 

 parison between side stream and mainstream — were less debili- 

 tated, indicating that side stream smoke was more toxic to these 

 plants. 



Mr. Waxman. Toxic. Did it create any genetic changes or did it 

 simply kill the plant? 



Mr. Mele. Well, just the way they looked, just visually they were 

 wilted and falling over and that sort of thing. 



Mr. Waxman. And what happened to the work that you are de- 

 scribing? Did Philip Morris allow this important work to be pub- 

 lished, or do you know whether it suppressed publication of that? 



Mr. Mele. My understanding is that work stopped. If it contin- 

 ued, we didn't know anything about it. 



Mr. Waxman. Let me ask you about other tests sponsored by 

 Philip Morris on the effects of painting components of tobacco 

 smoke on the skin of mice. Tell us about that, whatever you know 

 about it? 



Mr. Mele. I'm just aware that those studies were performed. Dr. 

 Jim Charles worked with another scientist before I was there, I be- 

 lieve. Those studies were more or less commonly discussed in the 

 cafeteria. I never saw any data or evidence of those studies, and 

 I don't know what happened to those studies. 



Mr. Waxman. Dr. DeNoble, did you ever see a presentation on 

 this research? 



Mr. DeNoble. Yes, I did. The research was conducted at a con- 

 tract laboratory facility outside of Philip Morris. The purpose of the 

 study was to investigate various components of smoke that had 

 been liquefied on mouse skin. It's a test for carcinogenic activity. 



