Effect of the nicotine on actived phagocytes - doi: 10.4025/actascihealthsci.v35i1.11129

Abstract

Smokers show increased rates of polymorphonuclear leukocytes (PMNL), including in pulmonary tissue, resulting increased levels of proteolytic enzymes and reactive oxygen species, which have a destructive effect on the cellular matrix and contribute to the progression of pulmonary disease, in addition to promoting the onset of microbial infections which cause phagocytic cells to be in a state of frequent activation (phagocytosis). This work evaluated the influence of nicotine (NIC) on the viability of PMNL and macrophages (activated or not), by stimuli zymosan and phorbol myristate acetate. The results indicated that NIC led to increased viability of PMNL and activated macrophages compared to these cells activated without NIC, measured ex vivo by trypan blue exclusion test. This effect was significantly higher on PMNL than on macrophages. This reduction in cytotoxicity favors cell survival, and may exacerbate its deleterious effect, especially in the active state, due to increased production of reactive oxygen species.