Figure 1
From: Disruption of retinal pigment epithelial cell properties under the exposure of cotinine
The expression of nicotinic acetylcholine receptor subunits in ARPE-19 cells. The gene expression of α (CHRNA1-10), β (CHRNB1-4) as well as δ (CHRND), ɛ (CHRNE) and γ (CHRNG) subunits nicotine acetylcholine receptor in ARPE-19 cells was determined by RT-PCR. ARPE-19 cells highly expressed CHRNA5 and CHRNB1, moderately expressed CHRNA7, CHRNB2, CHRNE and CHRNG, and slightly expressed CHRNA2, CHRNA3, CHRNA4 and CHRNA6. Low/no expressions of CHRNA1, CHRNA9, CHRNA10, CHRNB3, CHRNB4 and CHRND were found. The expression of CHRNA4 was dose-dependently and addictively downregulated across the nicotine and cotinine treatment groups, whereas the expression of CHRNA3 was downregulated in the 1 µM nicotine, 2 µM cotinine and 1 and 2 µM nicotine-cotinine mixture groups. The expression of CHRNB1 was downregulated in the 1 µM nicotine, 2 µM cotinine as well as 2 µM nicotine-cotinine mixture groups. ‘*’p < 0.05; ‘**’p < 0.01; ‘***’p < 0.001.
