title: Nicotine enhances interleukin production of rat splenic T lymphocytes.
abstract: Very little is known regarding the effects of nicotine, the most pharmacologically active component of tobacco products, on T lymphocyte activity or interleukin production. Therefore, rats were implanted subcutaneously with osmotic mini-pumps containing either physiological saline, nicotine (1.5 mg/kg/day) or a high dose of nicotine (4.5 mg/kg/day) for a period of 14 days. The ability of the splenic T lymphocytes to respond to the polyclonal T lymphocyte mitogens, Concanavalin A (ConA) or phytohemagglutinin (PHA), and the ability of mitogen stimulated splenic T lymphocytes to produce interleukin 2 (IL2) were determined. Treatment with nicotine suppressed, in a dose dependent fashion, the ability of splenic T lymphocytes to respond to mitogen, but dramatically enhanced the ability of mitogen stimulated lymphocytes to generate IL2.
authors.affiliation: University of Nebraska Medical Center, College of Dentistry, Dept. of Oral Biology, Lincoln 68583-0740.
authors.forename: T M
authors.initials: TM
authors.lastname: Petro
authors.forename: D S
authors.initials: DS
authors.lastname: Peterson
authors.forename: Y K
authors.initials: YK
authors.lastname: Fung
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D004305:Dose-Response Relationship, Drug; D007376:Interleukin-2 / Q000096:biosynthesis*; D008213:Lymphocyte Activation / Q000187:drug effects; D008297:Male; D009538:Nicotine / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000494:pharmacology*; D051381:Rats; D011919:Rats, Inbred Strains; D013154:Spleen / Q000187:drug effects / Q000276:immunology; D013601:T-Lymphocytes / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000276:immunology
chemical_list: D007376:Interleukin-2; D009538:Nicotine