Nicotine promotes atherosclerosis development in apolipoprotein E‐deficient mice through α1‐nAChR

α1 Nicotinic acetylcholine receptor (α1nAChR) is an important nicotine receptor that is widely distributed in vascular smooth muscle cells, macrophages, and endothelial cells. However, the role of α1nAChR in nicotine‐mediated atherosclerosis remains unclear. The administration of nicotine for 12 weeks increased the area of the atherosclerotic lesion, the number of macrophages infiltrating the plaques, and the circulating levels of inflammatory cytokines, such as interleukin‐6 and tumor necrosis factor‐α, in apolipoprotein E‐deficient (ApoE−/−) mice fed a high‐fat diet. Nicotine also increased α1nAChR, calpain‐1, matrix metalloproteinase‐2 (MMP‐2), and MMP‐9 expression in the aortic tissue. Silencing of α1nAChR with an adenoassociated virus decreased the atherosclerotic size, lesion macrophage content, and circulating levels of inflammatory cytokines and suppressed α1nAChR, calpain‐1, MMP‐2, and MMP‐9 expression in the nicotine group. In vitro, nicotine‐induced α1nAChR, calpain‐1, MMP‐2, and MMP‐9 expression in mouse vascular smooth muscle cells (MOVAS) and macrophages (RAW264.7), and enhanced the migration and proliferation of these cells. The silencing of α1nAChR inhibited these effects of nicotine MOVAS and RAW264.7 cells. Thus, we concluded that nicotine promoted the development of atherosclerosis partially by inducing the migration and proliferation of vascular smooth muscle cells and macrophages and inducing an inflammatory reaction. The effect of nicotine on atherogenesis may be mediated by α1nAChR‐induced activation of the calpain‐1/MMP‐2/MMP‐9 signaling pathway.