Oral Health and Systemic Disease Research Group, Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, University of Louisville School of Dentistry, 501 South Preston Street, Louisville, KY 40292, United States. dascot07@louisville.edu
Discoveries in the first few years of the 21st century have led to an understanding of important interactions between the nervous system and the inflammatory response at the molecular level, most notably the acetylcholine (ACh)-triggered, alpha7-nicotinic acetylcholine receptor (alpha7nAChR)-dependent nicotinic anti-inflammatory pathway. Studies using the alpha7nAChR agonist, nicotine, for the treatment of mucosal inflammation have been undertaken but the efficacy of nicotine as a treatment for inflammatory bowel diseases remains debatable. Further understanding of the nicotinic anti-inflammatory pathway and other endogenous anti-inflammatory mechanisms is required in order to develop refined and specific therapeutic strategies for the treatment of a number of inflammatory diseases and conditions, including periodontitis, psoriasis, sarcoidosis, and ulcerative colitis.