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Anti-inflammatory effects of nicotine in obesity and ulcerative colitis

Nicotine suppresses the production of pro-inflammatory cytokines

There is no doubt that the net effect of cigarette smoking is pro-inflammatory primarily as a result of increased oxidative stress, which occurs when the amount of reactive oxygen species (ROS) generated in cells exceeds the capacity of normal detoxification systems

Conclusion
Much work remains in terms of understanding the anti-inflammatory effects of nicotine in obesity-related inflammation and ulcerative colitis. However, it is now known that the α7nAChR plays a major role in the anti-inflammatory effects of nicotine and nicotine attenuates inflammation in both obesity and ulcerative colitis. What these findings suggest is the potential use of selective α7nAChR agonists as a new class of anti-inflammatory drugs. Despite tremendous efforts, obesity and obesity-related disorders remain at epidemic proportions and the etiology of ulcerative colitis remains unclear. Since the inflammatory response is an integral process in both obesity and ulcerative colitis, controlling the inflammatory response could ameliorate tissue damage. The effectiveness of α7nAChR agonists as a drug target will ultimately depend upon a clear understanding of the collective biological consequences of peripheral nAChR expression on inflammation. In addition, it should also be considered that the development of nicotine as a therapeutic intervention has its limitations due to toxicity related side effects and pharmacological non-specificity.

https://translational-medicine.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.1186/1479-5876-9-129#Sec10