In vitro effects of nicotine on the non-small-cell lung cancer line A549.
OBJECTIVE
To investigate in vitro effects of nicotine on the non-small-cell lung cancer line A549.


METHODS
The case-control study was conducted at the First Affiliated Hospital of Nanchang University from 1st January to 30th June, 2014 and comprised A549 cells which were treated with a series of concentrations of nicotine (0.01 µM, 0.1 µM, 1 µM and 10 µM) for 24 hours. Control cells were incubated under the same conditions without the addition of nicotine. Cell growth was detected by monotetrazolium salt [3-(4, 5-dimethyl-2-thiazolyl)-5-(3-carboxymethoxyphenyl)-2-(4-sulfophenyl)-2H-tetrazolium] assay. Cell apoptosis was detected by Haematoxylin and Eosin staining, immunofluorescence analysis of Filamentous actin and electron microscope observation.


RESULTS
Nicotine had no significant effect on A549 cell growth at the dose of 0.01µM (p>0.05), but had significant growth inhibitory effects at the doses of 0.1µM, 1µM and 10µM (p< 0.05 each). A significant decrease in cell numbers was observed on staining (p< 0.05). Significant changes in the size and shape of cells and concomitant changes in cytoskeletons and organelles were observed by immunofluorescence and electron microscope observation (p< 0.05).


CONCLUSIONS
The growth inhibitory effects of nicotine on A549 cells were found to be dose-dependent.
Department of Cardiothoracic Surgery, First Affiliated Hospital, Nanchang University, Nanchang, Jiangxi 330006, China.
Tao
T
Gao
Department of Cardiothoracic Surgery, First Affiliated Hospital, Nanchang University, Nanchang, Jiangxi 330006, China.
Xue-Liang
XL
Zhou
Department of Cardiothoracic Surgery, First Affiliated Hospital, Nanchang University, Nanchang, Jiangxi 330006, China.
Sheng
S
Liu
Department of Cardiothoracic Surgery, First Affiliated Hospital, Nanchang University, Nanchang, Jiangxi 330006, China.
Chang-Xiu
CX
Rao
Department of Cardiothoracic Surgery, First Affiliated Hospital, Nanchang University, Nanchang, Jiangxi 330006, China.
Wen
W
Shi
Department of Cardiothoracic Surgery, First Affiliated Hospital, Nanchang University, Nanchang, Jiangxi 330006, China.
Ji-Chun
JC
Liu
D000072283:A549 Cells / Q000166:cytology / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000648:ultrastructure; D017209:Apoptosis / Q000187:drug effects*; D002289:Carcinoma, Non-Small-Cell Lung; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D049109:Cell Proliferation / Q000187:drug effects*; D006801:Humans; D066298:In Vitro Techniques; D008175:Lung Neoplasms; D008854:Microscopy, Electron; D008856:Microscopy, Fluorescence; D009538:Nicotine / Q000494:pharmacology*; D018722:Nicotinic Agonists / Q000494:pharmacology*
D018722:Nicotinic Agonists; D009538:Nicotine
Nicotine, A549 cell line, Apoptosis, F-actin.