title: Effects of nicotine on epithelial nephron cells in culture.
abstract: Long-term effects of nicotine on cultured cells derived from defined segments of the nephron were studied in vitro. Nicotine was added during a 10-day incubation period to a defined nephron culture medium (NCM) which had been supplemented with one of the following: fetal calf serum (FCS), dexamethasone (D), aldosterone (A), or epidermal growth factor (EGF). Thymidine incorporation (10(-15) mmol/10(3) cells) into cultured cells of the cortical thick ascending loop of Henle (TAL) and of the cortical collecting tubule (CT) was inhibited by nicotine (5 X 10(1) ng/ml) when incubated in NCM only; the presence of FCS or of D (10(-8) M) or of D and EGF (25 ng/ml) prevented this inhibitory effect. Nicotine at a concentration of 5 X 10(2) ng/ml was inhibitory in TAL and CT even in the presence of FCS. Na-K-ATPase activity (pmol/10(3) cells X min-1) was stimulated significantly by D when compared with NCM; nicotine (5 X 10(2) ng/ml) prevented this inductive effect. Transepithelial voltage was 27.1 +/- 6 (mV) after incubation with A (10(-9) M), and 7.2 +/- 4.1 when incubated with A and nicotine (5 X 10(2) ng/ml). These data indicate that nicotine may interfere with factors stimulating cell proliferation, sodium pump enzyme activity, and ion flux (voltage). An effect of nicotine on the cellular Na-entry step would be consistent with the data.
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D046508:Culture Techniques; D003907:Dexamethasone / Q000494:pharmacology; D004848:Epithelium / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism; D007685:Kidney Tubules, Collecting / Q000187:drug effects; D008138:Loop of Henle / Q000187:drug effects; D008564:Membrane Potentials / Q000187:drug effects; D051379:Mice; D009399:Nephrons / Q000187:drug effects*; D009538:Nicotine / Q000494:pharmacology*; D011817:Rabbits; D000254:Sodium-Potassium-Exchanging ATPase / Q000378:metabolism; D013936:Thymidine / Q000378:metabolism
chemical_list: D009538:Nicotine; D003907:Dexamethasone; D000254:Sodium-Potassium-Exchanging ATPase; D013936:Thymidine