Divergent Roles of α5 and β4 Nicotinic Receptor Subunits in Food Reward and Nicotine-induced Weight Loss in Male Mice.

ABSTRACT: A major obstacle to successful smoking cessation is the prospect of weight gain. Despite a clear relationship between cigarette smoking and body weight, surprisingly little is known about the physiological and molecular mechanism by which nicotine affects energy homeostasis and food-motivated behaviors. Here we use loss-of-function mouse models to demonstrate that 2 nicotinic acetylcholine receptor (nAChR) subunits encoded by the CHRNA5-CHRNA3-CHRNB4 gene cluster, α5 and β4, exhibit divergent roles in food reward. We also reveal that β4-containing nAChRs are essential for the weight-lowering effects of nicotine in diet-induced obese mice. Finally, our data support the notion of crosstalk between incretin biology and nAChR signaling, as we demonstrate that the glycemic benefits of glucagon-

SUBMITTER: Breum AW 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC9217964 | biostudies-literature | 2022 Jul

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature