Rose J E, Westman E C, Behm F M, Johnson M P, Goldberg J S
VA Medical Center, and Department of Psychiatry, Duke University Medical Center, Durham, NC 27705, USA.
Pharmacol Biochem Behav. 1999 Jan;62(1):165-72. doi: 10.1016/s0091-3057(98)00153-1.
The present study was conducted to investigate the role of peripheral nicotinic receptors in mediating the rewarding effects of cigarette smoking. Twelve cigarette smokers rated cigarettes after intravenous infusion of the short-acting peripheral nicotinic receptor antagonist trimethaphan and after placebo (saline) infusions. Subjects were blinded to the infusion and cigarette conditions. Cigarette conditions included subjects' usual brand of cigarette, denicotinized tobacco cigarettes, and nicotine-injected cigarettes that had a tar delivery equal to that of the denicotinized cigarettes but with an enhanced nicotine delivery equal to that of subjects' usual brands. The latter cigarettes were rated as extremely harsh due to the high nicotine/tar ratio. Trimethaphan significantly attenuated the airway sensations associated with nicotine, and eliminated the difference in smoking satisfaction between the usual brand of cigarette and the other two cigarettes. These findings suggest that nicotinic receptors on peripheral nerve endings in the respiratory tract modulate smoking satisfaction and may be important in the maintenance of cigarette addiction.
本研究旨在探讨外周烟碱受体在介导吸烟奖赏效应中的作用。12名吸烟者在静脉输注短效外周烟碱受体拮抗剂三甲噻芬后以及输注安慰剂（生理盐水）后对香烟进行评分。受试者对输注情况和香烟状况不知情。香烟状况包括受试者常用品牌香烟、去尼古丁烟草香烟以及注射尼古丁香烟，注射尼古丁香烟的焦油含量与去尼古丁香烟相同，但尼古丁含量增加，与受试者常用品牌香烟相当。由于尼古丁/焦油比例高，后一种香烟被评为极其刺鼻。三甲噻芬显著减弱了与尼古丁相关的气道感觉，并消除了常用品牌香烟与其他两种香烟在吸烟满意度上的差异。这些发现表明，呼吸道外周神经末梢上的烟碱受体调节吸烟满意度，可能在维持香烟成瘾中起重要作用。
