Abstract
Smoking cessation is the most effective treatment in patients with emphysema and lung inflammation. The aim of the present study was to examine the effect of varenicline, a smoking cessation drug, on emphysema in porcine pancreatic elastase (PPE)-inhaled mice. PPE-inhaled mice were treated with varenicline and an α7 nicotinic acetylcholine receptor (nAChR) antagonist, methyllycaconitine (MLA) for 5 and 21 days. Varenicline markedly ameliorated alveolar expansion and inflammatory response in bronchoalveolar lavage fluid in PPE-inhaled mice. These blocking effects were inhibited by MLA. Our findings demonstrate that varenicline likely has an anti-inflammatory property including reduced inflammatory cell recruitment in lung tissue to protect PPE-induced alveolar expansion via α7 nAChR.
Published Version
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