Preprint Article Version 1 Preserved in Portico This version is not peer-reviewed

Role of Cigarette Smoke on ACE-2 Protein Membrane Expression in Bronchial Epithelial Cells Using an Air-Liquid Interface Model

Massimo Caruso
ORCID logo ,
Alfio Distefano
,
Rosalia Emma
,
Michelino Di Rosa
ORCID logo ,
Giuseppe Carota
,
Sonja Rust
,
Riccardo Polosa
ORCID logo ,
Pietro Zuccarello
ORCID logo ,
Margherita Ferrante
ORCID logo ,
Giuseppina Raciti
,
Giovanni Li Volti
* ORCID logo
Version 1 : Received: 3 October 2020 / Approved: 6 October 2020 / Online: 6 October 2020 (09:43:40 CEST)

How to cite: Caruso, M.; Distefano, A.; Emma, R.; Di Rosa, M.; Carota, G.; Rust, S.; Polosa, R.; Zuccarello, P.; Ferrante, M.; Raciti, G.; Li Volti, G. Role of Cigarette Smoke on ACE-2 Protein Membrane Expression in Bronchial Epithelial Cells Using an Air-Liquid Interface Model. Preprints 2020, 2020100114. https://doi.org/10.20944/preprints202010.0114.v1 Caruso, M.; Distefano, A.; Emma, R.; Di Rosa, M.; Carota, G.; Rust, S.; Polosa, R.; Zuccarello, P.; Ferrante, M.; Raciti, G.; Li Volti, G. Role of Cigarette Smoke on ACE-2 Protein Membrane Expression in Bronchial Epithelial Cells Using an Air-Liquid Interface Model. Preprints 2020, 2020100114. https://doi.org/10.20944/preprints202010.0114.v1

Abstract

Prevalence studies of current smoking among hospitalized COVID-19 patients demonstrated an unexpectedly low prevalence of current smoking among patients with COVID-19. The aim of the present proposal was to evaluate the effect of smoke from cigarettes on ACE-2 in bronchial epithelial cells. Normal bronchial epithelial cells (H292) were exposed to smoke by an air-liquid-interface (ALI) system and ACE-2 membrane protein expression was evaluated after 24 hours from exposure. Our transcriptomics data analysis showed a significant selective reduction of membrane ACE-2 expression (about 25%) following smoking exposure. Interestingly, we observed a positive direct correlation between ACE-2 reduction and nicotine delivery. Furthermore, by stratifying GSE52237 as a function of ACE-2 gene expression levels, we highlighted 1012 genes related to ACE-2 in smokers and 855 in non-smokers. Furthermore, we showed that 161 genes involved in the endocytosis process were highlighted using the online pathway tool KEGG. Finally, 11 genes were in common between the ACE-2 pathway in smokers and the genes regulated during endocytosis, while 12 genes with non-smokers. Interestingly, six in non-smokers and four genes in smokers were closely involved during the viral internalization process. Our data may offer a pharmaceutical role of nicotine as potential treatment option in COVID-19.

Keywords

ACE-2; nicotine; smoke; cigarette; epithelial cells.

Subject

Biology and Life Sciences, Biochemistry and Molecular Biology

Copyright: This is an open access article distributed under the Creative Commons Attribution License which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.

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