Effect of nicotine on the immune system: possible regulation of immune responses by central and peripheral mechanisms.
Nicotine (NT) treatment impairs T-cell receptor (TCR)-mediated signaling, leading to the arrest of T cells in the G1 phase of the cell cycle and inhibition of the antibody plaque-forming cell (AFC) response to sheep red blood cells (SRBC). This paper summarizes some of the previous findings related to cigarette smoke/NT and the immune response, and presents preliminary evidence suggesting that mice chronically treated with NT (0.5 mg/day/kg body weight) have a depressed inflammatory response in the turpentine-induced abscess model of inflammation. This ability of nicotine to attenuate an inflammatory response may also be the cause of reduced mortality of chronically nicotine-treated mice from acute influenza A pneumonitis. Moreover, in LEW rats, decreased anti-SRBC AFC responses were also observed after intracerebroventricular (i.c.v.) administration of relatively small concentrations of NT (28 micrograms/day/kg body weight) which, when given peripherally, did not affect the AFC response. In vitro the addition of NT to T cells increased protein tyrosine kinase (PTK) activity and intracellular Ca2+ concentration [Ca2+]i. These results support the hypothesis that NT alters immune responses by directly interacting with T cells, as well as indirectly through brain-immune interactions.
Sopori
M L
ML
Division of Pathophysiology, Lovelace Respiratory Research Institute, Albuquerque, NM 87108, USA. msopori@LRRI.org
Kozak
W
W
Savage
S M
SM
Geng
Y
Y
Soszynski
D
D
Kluger
M J
MJ
Perryman
E K
EK
Snow
G E
GE
D000038:Abscess / Q000188:drug therapy; D000818:Animals; D000894:Anti-Inflammatory Agents, Non-Steroidal / Q000494:pharmacology; D001831:Body Temperature / Q000187:drug effects; D002118:Calcium / Q000378:metabolism; D006462:Hemolytic Plaque Technique; D007107:Immune System / Q000187:drug effects*; D007109:Immunity / Q000187:drug effects*; D009980:Influenza A virus; D007276:Injections, Intraventricular; D008297:Male; D051379:Mice; D009043:Motor Activity / Q000187:drug effects; D009538:Nicotine / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000494:pharmacology*; D018722:Nicotinic Agonists / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000494:pharmacology*; D009976:Orthomyxoviridae Infections / Q000378:metabolism / Q000503:physiopathology; D011505:Protein-Tyrosine Kinases / Q000378:metabolism; D051381:Rats; D011917:Rats, Inbred Lew; D013601:T-Lymphocytes / Q000187:drug effects / Q000276:immunology / Q000378:metabolism
D000894:Anti-Inflammatory Agents, Non-Steroidal; D018722:Nicotinic Agonists; D009538:Nicotine; D011505:Protein-Tyrosine Kinases; D002118:Calcium