Natural and synthetic estrogens specifically alter nicotine demand and cue-induced nicotine seeking in female rats.

ABSTRACT: Women have more difficulty maintaining smoking cessation than men, and experience greater withdrawal symptomatology as well as higher prevalence of relapse. Further, currently available treatments for smoking cessation, such as the nicotine patch and varenicline, have been shown to be less effective in women. Fluctuations in ovarian hormones across the menstrual cycle can affect craving and smoking relapse propensity. In addition, many women who smoke use some form of oral contraceptives, which most often contain ethinyl estradiol (EE), a synthetic, orally bio-available estrogen that is currently prescribed to women chronically and has been shown to alter smoking reward in women. The current study examined the impact of 17β-estradiol (E2), the prominent endogenous form of the steroid hormo

SUBMITTER: Maher EE 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC8484059 | biostudies-literature | 2021 Oct

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature