BRIGHTON, England, May 6, 2009 (UPI via COMTEX) -- British scientists say
they've determined nicotine can delay the effects of ricin used during a
bioterrorism attack.
Jon Mabley and his colleagues at the University of Brighton found nicotine works
to block the tissue-destroying effects of ricin -- a highly toxic compound
derived from castor beans. The study was conducted in laboratory models, but the
scientists said nicotine agonists could potentially be used in patients exposed
to ricin as a stopgap measure before other treatments take effect.
The British investigators studied the effect of nicotine on animals exposed to
ricin and found it reduced death and organ failure.
"The protective effect of nicotine appears to be associated with its
anti-inflammatory effect, suggesting a possible therapeutic strategy of
activating the cholinergic anti-inflammatory pathway following ricin exposure to
protect against multiple organ failure," the scientists said. "The overall
effect of nicotine on maintaining liver and kidney function, while reducing
systemic inflammation, may account for the reduced mortality observed with ricin
exposure."
Activation of the anti-inflammatory cholinergic pathway is now undergoing
testing to reduce inflammation in a wide range of diseases.
The study appears in the journal Molecular Medicine.
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