title: Nicotine inhibits memory CTL programming.
abstract: Nicotine is the main tobacco component responsible for tobacco addiction and is used extensively in smoking and smoking cessation therapies. However, little is known about its effects on the immune system. We confirmed that multiple nicotinic receptors are expressed on mouse and human cytotoxic T lymphocytes (CTLs) and demonstrated that nicotinic receptors on mouse CTLs are regulated during activation. Acute nicotine presence during activation increases primary CTL expansion in vitro, but impairs in vivo expansion after transfer and subsequent memory CTL differentiation, which reduces protection against subsequent pathogen challenges. Furthermore, nicotine abolishes the regulatory effect of rapamycin on memory CTL programming, which can be attributed to the fact that rapamycin enhances expression of nicotinic receptors. Interestingly, naïve CTLs from chronic nicotine-treated mice have normal memory programming, which is impaired by nicotine during activation in vitro. In conclusion, simultaneous exposure to nicotine and antigen during CTL activation negatively affects memory development.
authors.affiliation: Department of Animal and Avian Sciences, University of Maryland, College Park, Maryland, United States of America.
authors.forename: Zhifeng
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Sun
authors.forename: Kendra
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Smyth
authors.forename: Karla
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Garcia
authors.forename: Elliot
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Mattson
authors.forename: Lei
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Li
authors.forename: Zhengguo
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Xiao
mesh_terms: D019264:Adoptive Transfer; D000818:Animals; D049109:Cell Proliferation / Q000187:drug effects; D002478:Cells, Cultured; D005260:Female; D005434:Flow Cytometry; D015870:Gene Expression / Q000187:drug effects / Q000276:immunology*; D006801:Humans; D007156:Immunologic Memory / Q000187:drug effects / Q000276:immunology*; D007166:Immunosuppressive Agents / Q000276:immunology / Q000494:pharmacology; D008213:Lymphocyte Activation / Q000235:genetics / Q000276:immunology; D008297:Male; D051379:Mice; D020297:Mice, Congenic; D008810:Mice, Inbred C57BL; D008822:Mice, Transgenic; D009538:Nicotine / Q000276:immunology* / Q000494:pharmacology; D011978:Receptors, Nicotinic / Q000235:genetics / Q000276:immunology / Q000378:metabolism; D020133:Reverse Transcriptase Polymerase Chain Reaction; D020123:Sirolimus / Q000276:immunology / Q000494:pharmacology; D013602:T-Lymphocytes, Cytotoxic / Q000187:drug effects / Q000276:immunology* / Q000378:metabolism
chemical_list: D007166:Immunosuppressive Agents; D011978:Receptors, Nicotinic; D009538:Nicotine; D020123:Sirolimus