Milen Babic1, Mirjam Schuchardt1, Markus Tölle1, Markus van der Giet1. 1. Department of Nephrology, Charité - Universitaetsmedizin Berlin, corporate member of Freie Universität Berlin, Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, and Berlin Institute of Health, Berlin, Germany.
Abstract
BACKGROUND: Smoking remains the most important avoidable cause of global mortality. Even though the number of cigarette smokers declines in first world countries, the uses of alternative nicotine delivery products increase and may even surpass the sells of cigarettes. In this light, the explicit role of nicotine in the development of cardiovascular diseases should be elucidated. OBJECTIVES: This narrative review attempts to connect current literature about possible effects of nicotine on the environment of the vasculature to the pathogenesis of vascular calcification, focusing on the tunica media of the vessel wall. METHODS: For this review, papers found on Pubmed and Medline until December 2018 by searching for the keywords nicotine, vascular calcification, oxidative stress, osteoblastic transdifferentiation and matrix degradation were considered. RESULTS: Nicotine creates an environment that probably facilitates and maybe even induces osteogenic transdifferentiation of VSMC by inflammation, endothelial dysfunction and reactive oxygen species. This process is believed to be a key event in calcification of the tunica media of the vessel wall. Furthermore, nicotine could lead to the formation of nucleation sites for hydroxyapatite by facilitating matrix vesicles and extracellular matrix degradation. CONCLUSIONS: There is a growing body of evidence implicating that nicotine alone could impair vascular function and lead to vascular calcification. Further research is necessary to elucidate the explicit influence of nicotine on arteriosclerosis.
BACKGROUND: Smoking remains the most important avoidable cause of global mortality. Even though the number of cigarette smokers declines in first world countries, the uses of alternative nicotine delivery products increase and may even surpass the sells of cigarettes. In this light, the explicit role of nicotine in the development of cardiovascular diseases should be elucidated. OBJECTIVES: This narrative review attempts to connect current literature about possible effects of nicotine on the environment of the vasculature to the pathogenesis of vascular calcification, focusing on the tunica media of the vessel wall. METHODS: For this review, papers found on Pubmed and Medline until December 2018 by searching for the keywords nicotine, vascular calcification, oxidative stress, osteoblastic transdifferentiation and matrix degradation were considered. RESULTS:Nicotine creates an environment that probably facilitates and maybe even induces osteogenic transdifferentiation of VSMC by inflammation, endothelial dysfunction and reactive oxygen species. This process is believed to be a key event in calcification of the tunica media of the vessel wall. Furthermore, nicotine could lead to the formation of nucleation sites for hydroxyapatite by facilitating matrix vesicles and extracellular matrix degradation. CONCLUSIONS: There is a growing body of evidence implicating that nicotine alone could impair vascular function and lead to vascular calcification. Further research is necessary to elucidate the explicit influence of nicotine on arteriosclerosis.
Authors: Joao P De Aquino; R Ross MacLean; Ralitza Gueorguieva; Elise E DeVito; Tore Eid; Mehmet Sofuoglu Journal: Addict Biol Date: 2022-03 Impact factor: 4.280