AKT2 modulates astrocytic nicotine responses <i>in vivo</i>.

ABSTRACT: A greater understanding of the neurobiology of nicotine is needed to reduce or prevent chronic addiction, ameliorate detrimental nicotine withdrawal effects, and improve cessation rates. Nicotine binds and activates two astrocyte-expressed nicotinic acetylcholine receptors (nAChRs), α4β2 and α7. Protein kinase B-β (Pkb-β or Akt2) expression is restricted to astrocytes in mice and humans and is activated by nicotine. To determine if AKT2 plays a role in astrocytic nicotinic responses, we generated astrocyte-specific Akt2 conditional knockout (cKO) and full Akt2 KO mice. For in/ex vivo studies, we examined mice exposed to chronic nicotine for two weeks in drinking water (200 μg/mL) or following acute nicotine challenge (0.09, 0.2 mg/kg) after 24 hrs. Our in vitro studies used cultured mouse

SUBMITTER: Lombardi AM 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC11160815 | biostudies-literature | 2025 Jun

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature