The purpose of this study was to test the hypothesis that components in mainstream (MS) and sidestream (SS) cigarette smoke inhibit growth and angiogenesis using the chick chorioallantoic membrane (CAM). Varying doses of whole or gas-phase MS and SS smoke solutions were placed on day 5 CAMs, and their effects on angiogenesis were evaluated on day 6. All parameters evaluated (CAM area, major blood vessel area, major blood vessel diameter, blood vessel pattern formation, and capillary plexus formation) were inhibited to different degrees in a dose-dependent manner by both MS and SS smoke treatment. Inhibition of growth and vessel development was correlated with inhibition of cell proliferation. Inhibition of capillary plexus formation was caused by failure of mesodermal blood vessels to migrate to the ectoderm. SS smoke solution was more inhibitory than MS smoke solution in all assays, except for capillary plexus formation. In all assays, the toxicants in SS smoke partitioned mainly with the gas phase, whereas those in MS smoke were deduced to be mainly in the particulate phase in the proliferation-dependent assays (CAM area, blood vessel area, blood vessel diameter) and in both the gas and particulate phase in the pattern formation and plexus formation assays. Some of the inhibitory doses of MS and SS smoke solutions had nicotine concentrations within the range found in human smokers. Taken together, these data demonstrate that exposure to complex mixtures of chemicals in MS and SS cigarette smoke adversely affect growth, vessel development, vessel migration, and cell proliferation.