Sharma Geeta, Vijayaraghavan Sukumar
Department of Physiology and Biophysics and the Neuroscience Program, University of Colorado, Denver, School of Medicine Aurora CO 80045.
Subst Abuse. 2008 Nov 11;2008(1):81.
Nicotine, the addictive component of cigarette smoke has profound effects on the brain. Activation of its receptors by nicotine has complex consequences for network activity throughout the brain, potentially contributing to the addictive property of the drug. Nicotinic receptors have been implicated in psychiatric illnesses like schizophrenia and are also neuroprotective, potentially beneficial for neurodegenerative diseases. These effects of nicotine serve to emphasize the multifarious roles the drug, acting through multiple nicotinic acetylcholine receptor subtypes. The findings also remind us of the complexity of signaling mechanisms and stress the risks of unintended consequences of drugs designed to combat nicotine addiction.
尼古丁是香烟烟雾中的成瘾成分，对大脑有深远影响。尼古丁激活其受体对全脑的网络活动会产生复杂的影响，这可能导致该药物具有成瘾性。烟碱型受体与精神疾病如精神分裂症有关，并且具有神经保护作用，可能对神经退行性疾病有益。尼古丁的这些作用突显了该药物通过多种烟碱型乙酰胆碱受体亚型发挥作用的多样功能。这些发现也让我们认识到信号传导机制的复杂性，并强调了旨在对抗尼古丁成瘾的药物可能产生意外后果的风险。
