Evidence map›Paper›PMID 36012747›Full record

ArticleInternational journal of molecular sciences2022

Nicotine in Combination with SARS-CoV-2 Affects Cells Viability, Inflammatory Response and Ultrastructural Integrity.

Luigi Sansone, Antonio de Iure, Mario Cristina, Manuel Belli, Laura Vitiello, Federica Marcolongo, Alfredo Rosellini, Lisa Macera, Pietro Giorgio Spezia, Carlo Tomino and 4 more

Open access · goldAbstract read
In one paragraph

Article in International journal of molecular sciences, 2022. 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 33% 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, 6 citations in OpenAlex.

  1. Nutrients · 2026
    Article
  2. Review
  3. Pharmaceutical biology · 2025
    Article
  4. Article
  5. Article
  6. Review
  7. Nicotine: From Discovery to Biological Effects.International journal of molecular sciences · 2023
    Review
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

14 authors at 5 institutions in 1 country.

Luigi SansoneMEBIC Consortium, San Raffaele University, 00166 Rome, Italy.ORCID 0000-0003-3150-6461
Antonio de IureExperimental Neurophysiology, IRCCS San Raffaele Roma, Via di Val Cannuta 247, 00166 Rome, Italy.ORCID 0000-0002-7672-7068
Mario CristinaMEBIC Consortium, San Raffaele University, 00166 Rome, Italy.ORCID 0000-0001-7360-6650
Manuel BelliMEBIC Consortium, San Raffaele University, 00166 Rome, Italy.ORCID 0000-0001-9183-6206
Laura VitielloDepartment of Human Sciences and Quality, Life Promotion San Raffaele University, Via di Val Cannuta 247, 00166 Rome, Italy.ORCID 0000-0003-0776-3601
Federica MarcolongoClinical and Molecular Epidemiology, IRCCS San Raffaele Roma, Via di Val Cannuta 247, 00166 Rome, Italy.
Alfredo RoselliniVirology Division, Pisa University Hospital, Via Paradisa 2, 56127 Pisa, Italy.
Lisa MaceraVirology Division, Pisa University Hospital, Via Paradisa 2, 56127 Pisa, Italy.
Pietro Giorgio SpeziaVirology Division, Pisa University Hospital, Via Paradisa 2, 56127 Pisa, Italy.ORCID 0000-0002-6743-014X
Carlo TominoScientific Direction, IRCSS San Raffaele Roma, Via di Val Cannuta 247, 00166 Rome, Italy.ORCID 0000-0003-1823-2195
Stefano BonassiDepartment of Human Sciences and Quality, Life Promotion San Raffaele University, Via di Val Cannuta 247, 00166 Rome, Italy.ORCID 0000-0003-3833-6717
Matteo A RussoMEBIC Consortium, San Raffaele University, 00166 Rome, Italy.ORCID 0000-0002-5847-6015
Fabrizio MaggiLaboratory of Virology, IRCCS National Institutes for Infectious Diseases "Lazzaro Spallanzani" INMI, Via Portuense 292, 00149 Rome, Italy.ORCID 0000-0001-7489-5271
Patrizia RussoDepartment of Human Sciences and Quality, Life Promotion San Raffaele University, Via di Val Cannuta 247, 00166 Rome, Italy.
Vita-Salute San Raffaele University · ITUniversity of Pisa · ITSan Raffaele University of Rome · ITIstituto Nazionale per le Malattie Infettive Lazzaro Spallanzani · ITPoliclinico Umberto I · IT

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

The aims of our study are to: (i) investigate the ability of nicotine to modulate the expression level of inflammatory cytokines in A549 cells infected with SARS-CoV-2; (ii) elucidate the ultrastructural features caused by the combination nicotine+SARS-CoV-2; and (iii) demonstrate the mechanism of action. In this study, A549 cells pretreated with nicotine were either exposed to LPS or poly(I:C), or infected with SARS-CoV-2. Treated and untreated cells were analyzed for cytokine production, cytotoxicity, and ultrastructural modifications. Vero E6 cells were used as a positive reference. Cells pretreated with nicotine showed a decrease of IL6 and TNFα in A549 cells induced by LPS or poly(I:C). In contrast, cells exposed to SARS-CoV-2 showed a high increase of IL6, IL8, IL10 and TNFα, high cytopathic effects that were dose- and time-dependent, and profound ultrastructural modifications. These modifications were characterized by membrane ruptures and fragmentation, the swelling of cytosol and mitochondria, the release of cytoplasmic content in extracellular spaces (including osmiophilic granules), the fragmentation of endoplasmic reticulum, and chromatin disorganization. Nicotine increased SARS-CoV-2 cytopathic effects, elevating the levels of inflammatory cytokines, and inducing severe cellular damage, with features resembling pyroptosis and necroptosis. The protective role of nicotine in COVID-19 is definitively ruled out.

Indexed as

NicotineSARS-CoV-2A549 CellsCell SurvivalCOVID-19CytokinesHumansInterleukin-6LipopolysaccharidesTumor Necrosis Factor-alphaCytokinesInterleukin-6LipopolysaccharidesNicotineTumor Necrosis Factor-alphacytokineshuman lung adenocarcinoma A549 cellsnecroptosisnicotinepoly(I:C)proinflammatory cytokinespyroptosisSARS-CoV-2

Identifiers

PMID36012747
PMCPMC9409480
OpenAlexW4292687314

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.