Nicotine binds to the transthyretin-thyroxine complex and reduces its uptake by placental trophoblasts

•Nicotine blocks uptake of transthyretin-T4 by human placental trophoblast cells.•Nicotine treatment decreases levels of scavenger receptor class B type 1 in trophoblasts.•Molecular dynamic modelling suggests that when T4 is bound to transthyretin, nicotine binding increases tetramer stability.