Comparative analyses of transcriptome sequencing and carcinogenic exposure toxicity of nicotine and 6-methyl nicotine in human bronchial epithelial cells

• Published in: Toxicology in vitro Vol. 93; p. 105661
• Main Authors: Qi, Huaiyuan, Chang, Xia, Wang, Ke, Xu, Qiaoxin, Liu, Meisen, Han, Bin
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Elsevier Ltd 01.12.2023
• Subjects: 6-methylnicotine; Carcinogenicity; Cytotoxicity; DNA damage; Human bronchial epithelial cells (BEAS-2B cells); Nicotine; Transcriptome sequencing; H2AX; 6-MN; DNA damage; Cytotoxicity; Human bronchial epithelial cells (BEAS-2B cells); Transcriptome sequencing; TCRP; 6-methylnicotine; ATCC; LCRG; SD; ANOVA; FBS; CCK-8; KEGG; RT-qPCR; GO; SOD; DETG; DEEP; CRG; SEM; Carcinogenicity; BEAS-2B cells; Nicotine; 8-OHDG
• ISSN: 0887-2333; 1879-3177
• DOI: 10.1016/j.tiv.2023.105661

Electronic cigarettes have become a purported safer alternative to the conventional cigarettes in recent years. Nicotine is the main component of electronic cigarettes, and other nicotinic compounds are synthesized as alternatives to nicotine. However, scientific data on the potential health effects of electronic cigarettes are scarce. Herein, we evaluated the cytotoxicity of nicotine and its analog 6-methyl nicotine (6-MN) on human bronchial epithelial cells (BEAS-2B cells) in vitro. Furthermore, we performed transcriptome sequencing to systematically assess the effects of nicotine and 6-MN on BEAS-2B cells. The cytotoxicity assay revealed that BEAS-2B cells were more sensitive to 6-MN than to nicotine. Transcriptome sequencing revealed 1208 differentially expressed cancer-related proteins (CRP) in the 6-MN groups relative to that with CRP in the control group. In addition, 6-MN had a greater negative effect on the CRP expression than nicotine. Bioinformatic analysis revealed that the differentially expressed genes and proteins in the 6-MN group were significantly enriched in the cancer-related pathways, unlike those in the nicotine group. Further validations of some lung cancer-related proteins, such as NF-κB p65, EGFR, and MET, were conducted by immunoblotting and real-time PCR, which revealed that 6-MN may have a greater negative effect on tumor development and metastasis than nicotine. Taken together, our findings suggest that new electronic cigarettes with 6-MN might offer some advantages over conventional electronic cigarettes containing nicotine. •6-Methyl nicotine (6-MN) displayed more sensitive cytotoxicity on human bronchial epithelial cells (BEAS-2B cells) than nicotine.•Transcriptome sequencing revealed 1044 differentially expressed cancer-related proteins (CRP) in 6-MN groups.•6-MN had a greater inhibitory effect on CRP expression than nicotine, suggesting that new electronic cigarettes with 6-MN may offer some advantages over the conventional ones containing nicotine.