Effects of nicotine on the hypothalamic-pituitary-axis (HPA) and immune function: introduction to the Sixth Nicotine Round Table Satellite, American Society of Addiction Medicine Nicotine Dependence Meeting, November 15, 1997.

This meeting was the sixth consecutive Nicotine Round Table Satellite Meeting which was held in Washington, DC, on 15 November, 1996; previous meetings are presented in Table I. The overall objective of these meetings was to bring together scientists and clinicians as a means of developing a dialogue concerning the basic mechanisms of nicotine action and the effects of nicotine on the whole organism. The specific topic of this meeting was chosen because of the potent effects of nicotine on the hypothalamic-pituitary-axis (HPA), and newer concepts indicating that the immune system and the HPA are connected via a variety of neuroendocrine and neurotransmitter elements. Whereas the HPA appears to play a unique role in adapting to internal and external stressors, the immune system appears to act as a forward scout which provides information important to the HPA. This Satellite Meeting evaluated the effects of nicotine from three points of view: (1) the effects of nicotine on HPA function; (2) the effects of the HPA on the pharmacological effects of nicotine; and (3) the effects of nicotine on immune function. This specific presentation will provide an overview of the findings of the meeting and will discuss several of the overriding issues in this area of nicotine research.