title: Transdermal nicotine decreases mucosal IL-8 expression but has no effect on mucin gene expression in ulcerative colitis.
abstract: Our goal was to determine the effect of transdermal nicotine on cytokine and mucin gene transcription in ulcerative colitis (UC). Sixty-four nonsmoking patients with active UC were randomly assigned to transdermal nicotine (maximum dose 22 mg/day) or placebo for 4 weeks. Clinical assessment and colonic mucosal biopsies were obtained at entry and after 4 weeks. Inflammatory and immunoregulatory cytokines were assessed by qualitative reverse transcriptase-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR). Based on this initial screen. IL-8 mRNA levels were measured by RT-competitive PCR. MUC1, MUC2, MUC3, MUC4, MUC5AC, MUC5B, and MUC6 mRNA concentrations were measured by quantitative dot blot analysis. Cytokine mRNA expression, except for IL-8, was similar in all patients. IL-8 mRNA levels were significantly decreased in the colonic mucosa of nicotine-treated patients who improved (p = 0.04). IL-8 mRNA values were similar before and after treatment in nonresponding nicotine-treated patients and in all placebo-treated patients. Mucin gene expression was similar in all patient groups. Beneficial effects of transdermal nicotine in active UC may result from decrease of IL-8 expression at the transcriptional level. Transdermal nicotine has no effect on mucin gene transcription.
authors.affiliation: Laboratoire de recherche sur les MICI (CRI 4U004B), Centre Hospitalier Universitaire (CHU), Lille, France.
authors.forename: B
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Louvet
authors.forename: M P
authors.initials: MP
authors.lastname: Buisine
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Desreumaux
authors.forename: W J
authors.initials: WJ
authors.lastname: Tremaine
authors.forename: J P
authors.initials: JP
authors.lastname: Aubert
authors.forename: N
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Porchet
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Capron
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Cortot
authors.forename: J F
authors.initials: JF
authors.lastname: Colombel
authors.forename: W J
authors.initials: WJ
authors.lastname: Sandborn
mesh_terms: D000279:Administration, Cutaneous; D000328:Adult; D015152:Blotting, Northern; D003093:Colitis, Ulcerative / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000378:metabolism*; D003106:Colon / Q000378:metabolism; D016207:Cytokines / Q000096:biosynthesis / Q000235:genetics; D004311:Double-Blind Method; D005260:Female; D015870:Gene Expression / Q000187:drug effects; D006801:Humans; D016209:Interleukin-8 / Q000096:biosynthesis* / Q000235:genetics; D007413:Intestinal Mucosa / Q000378:metabolism; D008297:Male; D009077:Mucins / Q000096:biosynthesis* / Q000235:genetics; D009538:Nicotine / Q000494:pharmacology* / Q000627:therapeutic use; D012333:RNA, Messenger / Q000032:analysis; D020133:Reverse Transcriptase Polymerase Chain Reaction
chemical_list: D016207:Cytokines; D016209:Interleukin-8; D009077:Mucins; D012333:RNA, Messenger; D009538:Nicotine