Specificity of Varenicline in Blocking Mesolimbic Circuit Activation to Natural and Drug Rewards.

ABSTRACT: The mesolimbic dopamine (DA) system reinforces behaviors that are critical for survival. However, drug dependence can occur when drugs of abuse, such as nicotine, highjack this reinforcement system. Pharmacologically targeting the DA system to selectively block drug reinforcement requires a detailed understanding of the neural circuits and molecular pathways that lead to the reward-based activation of mesolimbic circuits. Varenicline is an approved smoking cessation drug that has been shown to block nicotine-evoked DA increases in the nucleus accumbens (NAc) through action on nicotinic acetylcholine receptors. Because these receptors have been implicated in the reinforcement of other addictive substances, we explored the possibility that varenicline could broadly affect reward processing.

SUBMITTER: Goldstein N 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC8837713 | biostudies-literature | 2022 Feb

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature