The comparative repeat dose toxicity of American cigarettes and kreteks (Indonesian cigarettes containing approximately 60% tobacco and 40% shredded clove buds) was assessed by exposure of groups of five male and five female rats to equivalent (approximately 2 mg/l in terms of total particulate matter) concentrations of smoke from each type of cigarette over 15 consecutive days. The smoke was delivered "nose only" using an HRC Rodent Smoking Machine (Mark IV). For each type of cigarette, three doses were used. These were achieved by regulating the daily total duration of exposure to smoke. The different doses used were 2 x, 4 x and 6 x, 15-min exposures, presented daily over a period of approximately 6 h. Inter-group comparisons were made between American and kretek groups which received the same daily durations of smoke exposure. Higher doses of smoke resulted in reduced bodyweight gains and food consumption in male groups; the response of female groups was not as clear. At the highest dose, male rats exposed to kretek smoke gained significantly more weight by comparison with males exposed to American smoke. Higher doses of smoke tended to increase water consumption in both sexes of groups exposed to American smoke; kretek smoke produced no obvious effect. Smoke exposures produced the expected responses in certain haematological and blood biochemical parameters attributed to exposure to CO and the irritants present in cigarette smoke. Such responses were, however, confined largely to the groups exposed to American smoke. Macroscopic pathological findings attributed to smoke inhalation were confined to the lungs, and consisted of minimal to moderate discolouration and incomplete collapse of the lung.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)