AUTHOR=Hu Yao , Zhou Wen , Zhu Chengguang , Zhou Yujie , Guo Qiang , Huang Xiaoyu , Yang Bina , Ren Biao , Cheng Lei 

TITLE=The Synergistic Effect of Nicotine and Staphylococcus aureus on Peri-Implant Infections

JOURNAL=Frontiers in Bioengineering and Biotechnology

VOLUME=Volume 9 - 2021

YEAR=2021

URL=https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/bioengineering-and-biotechnology/articles/10.3389/fbioe.2021.658380

DOI=10.3389/fbioe.2021.658380

ISSN=2296-4185

ABSTRACT=Smoking is considered as a key risk factor for implant survival, however how it interacts with the pathogens in peri-implant infections is not clear. Here we identified that nicotine, the key component of cigarette smoking, can interact with Staphylococcus aureus and synergistically induce peri-implant infections in a rat osteolysis model. The nicotine-S. aureus combination group increased the gross bone pathology, osteolysis, periosteal reactions and bone resorption compared to the nicotine or S. aureus single treated group (P<0.05). Nicotine did not promote the proliferation of S. aureus both in vitro and in vivo, but it can significantly up-regulate the expression of spa, a key virulence factor of S. aureus. The nicotine-S. aureus combination also synergistically activated the expression of RANKL (receptor activator of nuclear factor kappa B ligand, P<0.05) to promote the development of peri-implantitis. The synergistic effects between nicotine and S. aureus infection can be a new target to reduce the peri-implant infections.