{"status":"ok","message-type":"work","message-version":"1.0.0","message":{"indexed":{"date-parts":[[2025,10,10]],"date-time":"2025-10-10T01:47:13Z","timestamp":1760060833262,"version":"build-2065373602"},"reference-count":24,"publisher":"MDPI AG","issue":"9","license":[{"start":{"date-parts":[[2025,9,18]],"date-time":"2025-09-18T00:00:00Z","timestamp":1758153600000},"content-version":"vor","delay-in-days":0,"URL":"https:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by\/4.0\/"}],"funder":[{"name":"Scientific Research Projects Coordination Unit of Istanbul Yeni Y\u00fczy\u0131l University"}],"content-domain":{"domain":[],"crossmark-restriction":false},"short-container-title":["Metabolites"],"abstract":"<jats:p>Background: Gastrointestinal (GI) cancers are common and pose a major public health issue. An inflammatory microenvironment drives their development and progression. The \u03b17nAChR receptor, known to suppress autoimmune and inflammatory bowel diseases, is also linked to colorectal cancer. It enhances anti-inflammatory activity, influences tumor growth, metastasis, and treatment response, and is associated with tobacco use. NLRP3, a key inflammatory mediator, connects immunity and cancer. The \u03b17nAChR receptor modulates tumorigenesis and therapy response by suppressing inflammatory pathways, while also regulating NLRP3 inflammasome activation through inhibition of mitochondrial DNA release. This study examines \u03b17nAChR and NLRP3 expression in gastric and colorectal cancers, colitis, and normal tissues to clarify pathogenic mechanisms and identify therapeutic targets. Methods: Tissue samples of gastric tumor (S-Tm) (n = 10), colorectal tumor (C-Tm) (n = 10), colitis (UC) (n = 10), healthy stomach (S-C) (n = 10) and healthy colorectal tissue (C-C) (n = 10) taken during routine endoscopy protocols were homogenized. The \u03b17nAChR and NLRP3 levels were examined using the ELISA method, and groups were compared. Results: We identified statistically significant differences in \u03b17nAChR levels between the S-C and S-Tm (p &lt; 0.05), C-C and C-Tm (p &lt; 0.05), and S-C and C-Tm (p &lt; 0.001) groups. The NRLP3 levels also differed significantly between the UC and C-Tm (p &lt; 0.05), the S-C and C-Tm (p &lt; 0.01), and the C-C and C-Tm groups (p &lt; 0.01). Conclusions: Paradoxically, given the inflammatory regulatory role and oncogenic effects of \u03b17nAChR, the relationship between \u03b17nAChR and NLRP3 has become an important target for both oncological and inflammatory therapeutic approaches, particularly in inflammation-related GI cancers.<\/jats:p>","DOI":"10.3390\/metabo15090622","type":"journal-article","created":{"date-parts":[[2025,9,18]],"date-time":"2025-09-18T14:45:46Z","timestamp":1758206746000},"page":"622","update-policy":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.3390\/mdpi_crossmark_policy","source":"Crossref","is-referenced-by-count":0,"title":["Paradoxical Regulation of \u03b17nAChR and NLRP3 Inflammasome in Gastrointestinal Cancers and Ulcerative Colitis"],"prefix":"10.3390","volume":"15","author":[{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0001-8675-9031","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Gulten","family":"Ates","sequence":"first","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Physiology, Faculty of Medicine, Istanbul Yeni Yuzyil University, Istanbul 34010, Turkey"}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"given":"Ilker","family":"Ozgur","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Physiology, Faculty of Medicine, Istanbul Yeni Yuzyil University, Istanbul 34010, Turkey"}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"given":"Ismail Cem","family":"Sormaz","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of General Surgery, Istanbul Medical Faculty, Istanbul University, Istanbul 34390, Turkey"}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]}],"member":"1968","published-online":{"date-parts":[[2025,9,18]]},"reference":[{"key":"ref_1","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"474","DOI":"10.21037\/jgo.2017.05.01","article-title":"Immunotherapy in gastrointestinal cancers","volume":"8","author":"Grierson","year":"2017","journal-title":"J. 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