Nicotine treatment alters NF-kappaB expression in human cytomegalovirus-infected ARPE-19 cells.
OBJECTIVE
To test if nicotine counteracts the dampening effect of human cytomegalovirus (HCMV) infection of NF-kappaB in retinal pigment epithelial (RPE) cells, thereby increasing the permissiveness of RPE cells for HCMV replication.


METHODS
Human ARPE-19 cells were transfected with NF-kappaB luciferase DNA, inoculated with HCMV at 24 hr post-transfection, and maintained in the absence or presence of a physiologic dose of nicotine at 1 hr prior to HCMV inoculation.


RESULTS
Whereas HCMV-infected ARPE-19 cells without nicotine treatment showed a dramatic decrease in NF-kappaB levels, nicotine treatment reduced this decrease but did not abolish it completely. Nicotine treatment of uninfected ARPE-19 cells had no effect on baseline NF-kappaB levels.


CONCLUSIONS
Treatment of HCMV-infected ARPE-19 cells with nicotine at a physiologic dose dampened the downregulation of NF-kappaB observed in HCMV-infected ARPE-19 cells without nicotine treatment. We conclude that nicotine can serve as a cofactor to stimulate productive, lytic replication of HCMV.
Buckner
Anissa E
AE
Department of Ophthalmology, Harvey & Bernice Jones Eye Institute, University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences, Little Rock, Arkansas 72205, USA. buckneranissae@uams.edu
Dix
Richard D
RD
D015153:Blotting, Western; D002460:Cell Line; D003587:Cytomegalovirus / Q000502:physiology*; D015870:Gene Expression / Q000502:physiology*; D006801:Humans; D016328:NF-kappa B / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism; D009538:Nicotine / Q000494:pharmacology*; D018722:Nicotinic Agonists / Q000494:pharmacology*; D010857:Pigment Epithelium of Eye / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000378:metabolism / Q000821:virology*; D014162:Transfection; D014779:Virus Replication
D016328:NF-kappa B; D018722:Nicotinic Agonists; D009538:Nicotine