Nicotine may prevent bioterrorism damage

BRIGHTON, England, May 6 (UPI) -- 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.