Fig. 1
From: Tobacco exposure in adults and children with proteinuric glomerulopathies: a NEPTUNE cohort study
Known Mechanisms of Nicotine-induced Podoyte Injury. Mature podocytes express the nicotinic acetylcholine receptor (nAchR). Exposure to nicotine activates signaling through the nAchR which drives reactive oxygen species generation, proinflammatory cytokine expression, activation of the NLRP inflammasome, downregulation of podocyte maturity marker expression and apoptosis. Podocyte CD36 expression is also upregulated with nicotine exposure which may promote liptoxicity through the enhanced uptake of oxidized LDL (oxLDL).