Nicotine induces the production of IL-1β and IL-8 via the α7 nAChR/NF-κB pathway in human periodontal ligament cells: an in vitro study.

BACKGROUND/AIMS: Tobacco smoking is a major risk factor for the occurrence and progression of periodontitis. We previously demonstrated that nicotine could induce the expression of α7 nicotinic acetylcholine receptors (α7 nAChR) in human and rat periodontal tissues. To further examine the signal pathways mediated by α7 nAChR in periodontal ligament (PDL) cells, we investigated whether nicotine affects interleukin-1β (IL-1β) and interleukin-8 (IL-8) via the α7 nAChR/NF-κB pathway in human PDL cells.
METHODS: Human PDL cells were pre-incubated with alpha-bungarotoxin (α-BTX) or pyrrolidine dithiocarbamate (PDTC), then cultured with nicotine. Then, we used western blotting, a dual-luciferase reporter, real-time quantitative PCR and an enzyme-linked immunoassay to assess expression of the NF-κB p65 subunit, NF-κB activity and production of IL-1β and IL-8 in human PDL cells.
RESULTS: Compared with the control group, nicotine could significantly induce production of IL-1β and IL-8 in human PDL cells and cause the similar effects on the expression of the NF-κB p65 subunit and NF-κB activity.
CONCLUSION: This study demonstrates that nicotine could induce production of IL-1β and IL-8 via the α7 nAChR/NF-κB pathway in human PDL cells, providing data for a better understanding of the relationships among smoking, nicotine, and periodontitis.