Combined effects of chronic nicotine and acute virus exposure on neurotrophin expression in rat lung.

ABSTRACT: Strong epidemiologic evidence indicates that tobacco smoke influences frequency and severity of respiratory infections. Previously, we have shown that infection with respiratory syncytial virus upregulates expression of neurotrophic factors and receptors in the lungs, but the effect of tobacco exposure on neurotrophins is unknown. Therefore, we first sought to determine the expression of neurotrophic pathways in lungs of rats chronically exposed to nicotine, and then we studied the interactions between pollution and infection by inoculating virus after nicotine exposure. Expression of the neurotrophins nerve growth factor (NGF) and brain-derived neurotrophic factor, of their high-affinity tyrosine kinase receptors (trkA and trkB, respectively), and of the low-affinity receptor p75(NTR) was

SUBMITTER: Urrego F 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC3632456 | biostudies-literature | 2009 Nov

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature