Nicotinic Acetylcholine Receptors Along the Habenulo-Interpeduncular Pathway: Roles in Nicotine Withdrawal and Other Aversive Aspects

摘要: Addiction to tobacco smoking is a deadly disease that consumes millions of lives each year. However, the neurobiology underlying remains an enigma. One reason for this relative complexity nicotine’s effects on brain, with multitude targets throughout many different brain regions, subserving individual components disease. Still, handful circuits mediate particularly significant roles in The epithalamic habenulo-interpeduncular (Hb-IPN) pathway participates aversive aspects nicotine dependence, including experience withdrawal. Many hypotheses regarding exact mechanisms these behavioral exist, but convergent feature those acts at populations nicotinic acetylcholine receptors (nAChRs) across Hb-IPN pathway. Of note, one regions highest density nAChRs, both heteromeric (e.g., α3β4 and α4β2) homomeric (i.e., α7) receptors. As nAChR subtypes subserve multiple affective reinforcement behaviors are expressed along pathway, it no surprise similar behaviors. This chapter will discuss nAChRs nicotine-associated behaviors, as well touch upon innate over biology behavior healthy animals.