Evidence map›Paper›PMID 29559689›Full record

ArticleScientific reports2018

The tobacco carcinogen NNK drives accumulation of DNMT1 at the GR promoter thereby reducing GR expression in untransformed lung fibroblasts.

Kerryn M Taylor, Roxanne Wheeler, Nimisha Singh, Dalene Vosloo, David W Ray, Paula Sommer

Open access · goldAbstract read
In one paragraph

Article in Scientific reports, 2018. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 7 papers.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
7citing papers in PubMed
0.6field-weighted citation impact, top 34% of its field
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

7 citing papers in PubMed, 10 citations in OpenAlex.

  1. Article
  2. Smoking-Associated Carcinogen-Induced Inflammation Promotes Lung Carcinogenesis via IRAK4 Activation.Clinical cancer research : an official journal of the American Association for Cancer Research · 2025
    Article
  3. Article
  4. Epimutational effects of electronic cigarettes.Environmental science and pollution research international · 2021
    Review
  5. Cyanidin-3-Molecules (Basel, Switzerland) · 2020
    Article
  6. Article
  7. Article
4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

6 authors at 2 institutions in 2 countries.

Kerryn M TaylorSchool of Life Sciences, University of KwaZulu-Natal, Durban, South Africa.
Roxanne WheelerSchool of Life Sciences, University of KwaZulu-Natal, Durban, South Africa.
Nimisha SinghSchool of Life Sciences, University of KwaZulu-Natal, Durban, South Africa.
Dalene VoslooSchool of Life Sciences, University of KwaZulu-Natal, Durban, South Africa.
David W RayDivision of Endocrinology, Diabetes and Gastroenterology, School of Medical Sciences, Faculty of Biology, Medicine and Health, University of Manchester, Manchester, United Kingdom.ORCID 0000-0002-4739-6773
Paula SommerSchool of Life Sciences, University of KwaZulu-Natal, Durban, South Africa. paulasommer100@gmail.com.
University of KwaZulu-Natal · ZAUniversity of Manchester · GB

Funding

Medical Research Council MR/M008908/1Medical Research Council MR/P023576/1Medical Research Council MR/P023576/2Wellcome Trust 107851/Z/15/Z
6 · The paper itself

Abstract

Small cell lung cancer (SCLC) is a highly aggressive, predominantly cigarette smoke-induced tumour with poor prognosis. The glucocorticoid receptor (GR), a SCLC tumour suppressor gene, is typically reduced in SCLC. We now show that SCLC cells express high levels of DNA methyltransferase 1 (DNMT1) which accumulates at the GR promoter. DNMT1 expression is further increased by exposure to the tobacco carcinogen NNK. In the untransformed human lung fibroblast cell line, MRC-5, short term NNK treatment decreases GRα mRNA and protein expression due to accumulation of DNMT1 at the GR promoter. Long term NNK treatment results in persistently augmented DNMT1 levels with lowered GR levels. Long term exposure to NNK slows cell proliferation and induces DNA damage, while the GR antagonist RU486 stimulates proliferation and protects against DNA damage. Although both NNK and RU486 treatment increases methylation at the GR promoter, neither are sufficient to prevent senescence in this context. NNK exposure results in accumulation of DNMT1 at the GR promoter in untransformed lung cells mimicking SCLC cells, directly linking tobacco smoke exposure to silencing of the GR, an important step in SCLC carcinogenesis.

Indexed as

CarcinogenesisCarcinogensCell LineDNA (Cytosine-5-)-Methyltransferase 1DNA MethylationFibroblastsGene Expression Regulation, NeoplasticHumansLungLung NeoplasmsMifepristoneNitrosaminesPromoter Regions, GeneticProtein BindingReceptors, GlucocorticoidSmall Cell Lung Carcinoma4-(N-methyl-N-nitrosamino)-1-(3-pyridyl)-1-butanoneCarcinogensDNA (Cytosine-5-)-Methyltransferase 1DNMT1 protein, humanMifepristoneNitrosaminesReceptors, Glucocorticoid

Identifiers

PMID29559689
PMCPMC5861118
OpenAlexW2803673025

What OpenQuestion holds

Textmetadata
LicenceCC BY
Read underepoch 390

Registered trials

None linked

Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.