Smoke extracts and nicotine, but not tobacco extracts, potentiate firing and burst activity of ventral tegmental area dopaminergic neurons in mice.

ABSTRACT: Nicotine prominently mediates the behavioral effects of tobacco consumption, either through smoking or when taking tobacco by snuff or chew. However, many studies question the exclusive role of nicotine in these effects. The use of preparations containing all the components of tobacco, such as tobacco and smoke extracts, may be more suitable than nicotine alone to investigate the behavioral effects of smoking and tobacco intake. In the present study, the electrophysiological effects of tobacco and smoke on ventral tegmental area dopaminergic (DA) neurons were examined in vivo in anesthetized wild-type (WT), β2-nicotinic acetylcholine receptor (nAChR) knockout (β2-/-), α4-/-, and α6-/- mice and compared with those of nicotine alone. In WT mice, smoke and nicotine had similar potentiating ef

SUBMITTER: Marti F 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC3176561 | biostudies-literature | 2011 Oct

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature