Mutation of the α5 nicotinic acetylcholine receptor subunit increases ethanol and nicotine consumption in adolescence and impacts adult drug consumption.

ABSTRACT: Alcohol and nicotine are commonly used during adolescence, establishing long-lasting neuroplastic alterations that influence subsequent drug use and abuse. Drinking- and smoking-related traits have been extensively associated with variation in CHRNA5 - the gene that encodes the α5 subunit of neuronal nicotinic acetylcholine receptors (nAChRs). The single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) rs16969968 in CHRNA5 encodes an amino acid substitution (D398N) that alters the function and pharmacokinetics of α5-containing nAChR. When expressed in rodents, this variant results in increased ethanol and nicotine operant self-administration. How disruption of α5-containing nAChRs influences adolescent ethanol and nicotine intake, and how it modulates interactions between these drugs has not been previously

SUBMITTER: Quijano Carde NA 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC9308728 | biostudies-literature | 2022 Sep

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature