Macrophages, nicotinic receptors

Matsunaga, K. et al., Involvement of nicotinic acetylcholine receptors in suppression of antimicrobial activity and cytokine responses of alveolar macrophages to Legionella pneumophila infection by nicotine, J. Immunol.. 167, 6518, 2001. 

The catalytic activity of cholinesterases is important not solely for regulating neurotransmission, but also for modulating tire cholinergic anti-inflammatory reflex. This term was coined after recognition of tire ability of excessive stimulation of nAChRs to prevent the secretion by macrophages of the pro-inflammatory cytokines TNFa, interleukin (IL)-lp, IL-6, and IL-18, but not tire anti-inflammatory cytokine IL-10 (Tracey, 2010). More specifically, upon inflammatory stimuli, e a7 nicotinic ACh receptor (aZnAChR) is activated by ACh, which results in tire inhibition of NF-kB nuclear translocation and suppression of cytokine release by monocytes and macrophages (Tracey, 2010). 

---