Anti-inflammatory effects of nicotine in obesity and ulcerative colitis
<p>Abstract</p> <p>Cigarette smoke is a major risk factor for a number of diseases including lung cancer and respiratory infections. Paradoxically, it also contains nicotine, an anti-inflammatory alkaloid. There is increasing evidence that smokers have a lower incidence of some inf...
| Main Authors: | , |
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
BMC
2011-08-01
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| Series: | Journal of Translational Medicine |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | http://www.translational-medicine.com/content/9/1/129 |
| _version_ | 1819088571466776576 |
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| author | Kirchgessner Annette Lakhan Shaheen E |
| author_facet | Kirchgessner Annette Lakhan Shaheen E |
| author_sort | Kirchgessner Annette |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | <p>Abstract</p> <p>Cigarette smoke is a major risk factor for a number of diseases including lung cancer and respiratory infections. Paradoxically, it also contains nicotine, an anti-inflammatory alkaloid. There is increasing evidence that smokers have a lower incidence of some inflammatory diseases, including ulcerative colitis, and the protective effect involves the activation of a cholinergic anti-inflammatory pathway that requires the α7 nicotinic acetylcholine receptor (α7nAChR) on immune cells. Obesity is characterized by chronic low-grade inflammation, which contributes to insulin resistance. Nicotine significantly improves glucose homeostasis and insulin sensitivity in genetically obese and diet-induced obese mice, which is associated with suppressed adipose tissue inflammation. Inflammation that results in disruption of the epithelial barrier is a hallmark of inflammatory bowel disease, and nicotine is protective in ulcerative colitis. This article summarizes current evidence for the anti-inflammatory effects of nicotine in obesity and ulcerative colitis. Selective agonists for the α7nAChR could represent a promising pharmacological strategy for the treatment of inflammation in obesity and ulcerative colitis. Nevertheless, we should keep in mind that the anti-inflammatory effects of nicotine could be mediated via the expression of several nAChRs on a particular target cell.</p> |
| first_indexed | 2024-12-21T21:54:09Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-25005a9c18b84a3c98f7006b51d1b04a |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 1479-5876 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-12-21T21:54:09Z |
| publishDate | 2011-08-01 |
| publisher | BMC |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Journal of Translational Medicine |
| spelling | doaj.art-25005a9c18b84a3c98f7006b51d1b04a2022-12-21T18:49:01ZengBMCJournal of Translational Medicine1479-58762011-08-019112910.1186/1479-5876-9-129Anti-inflammatory effects of nicotine in obesity and ulcerative colitisKirchgessner AnnetteLakhan Shaheen E<p>Abstract</p> <p>Cigarette smoke is a major risk factor for a number of diseases including lung cancer and respiratory infections. Paradoxically, it also contains nicotine, an anti-inflammatory alkaloid. There is increasing evidence that smokers have a lower incidence of some inflammatory diseases, including ulcerative colitis, and the protective effect involves the activation of a cholinergic anti-inflammatory pathway that requires the α7 nicotinic acetylcholine receptor (α7nAChR) on immune cells. Obesity is characterized by chronic low-grade inflammation, which contributes to insulin resistance. Nicotine significantly improves glucose homeostasis and insulin sensitivity in genetically obese and diet-induced obese mice, which is associated with suppressed adipose tissue inflammation. Inflammation that results in disruption of the epithelial barrier is a hallmark of inflammatory bowel disease, and nicotine is protective in ulcerative colitis. This article summarizes current evidence for the anti-inflammatory effects of nicotine in obesity and ulcerative colitis. Selective agonists for the α7nAChR could represent a promising pharmacological strategy for the treatment of inflammation in obesity and ulcerative colitis. Nevertheless, we should keep in mind that the anti-inflammatory effects of nicotine could be mediated via the expression of several nAChRs on a particular target cell.</p>http://www.translational-medicine.com/content/9/1/129α7-nicotinic acetylcholine receptorulcerative colitisenteric nervous systempro-inflammatory cytokines |
| spellingShingle | Kirchgessner Annette Lakhan Shaheen E Anti-inflammatory effects of nicotine in obesity and ulcerative colitis Journal of Translational Medicine α7-nicotinic acetylcholine receptor ulcerative colitis enteric nervous system pro-inflammatory cytokines |
| title | Anti-inflammatory effects of nicotine in obesity and ulcerative colitis |
| title_full | Anti-inflammatory effects of nicotine in obesity and ulcerative colitis |
| title_fullStr | Anti-inflammatory effects of nicotine in obesity and ulcerative colitis |
| title_full_unstemmed | Anti-inflammatory effects of nicotine in obesity and ulcerative colitis |
| title_short | Anti-inflammatory effects of nicotine in obesity and ulcerative colitis |
| title_sort | anti inflammatory effects of nicotine in obesity and ulcerative colitis |
| topic | α7-nicotinic acetylcholine receptor ulcerative colitis enteric nervous system pro-inflammatory cytokines |
| url | http://www.translational-medicine.com/content/9/1/129 |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT kirchgessnerannette antiinflammatoryeffectsofnicotineinobesityandulcerativecolitis AT lakhanshaheene antiinflammatoryeffectsofnicotineinobesityandulcerativecolitis |