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Panagopoulos VN, Bailey A, Kostopoulos GK, Ioannides AA. Changes in distinct brain systems identified with fMRI during smoking cessation treatment with varenicline: a review. Psychopharmacology (Berl) 2024; 241:653-685. [PMID: 38430396 DOI: 10.1007/s00213-024-06556-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/23/2023] [Accepted: 02/15/2024] [Indexed: 03/03/2024]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Varenicline is considered one of the most effective treatment options for smoking cessation. Nonetheless, it is only modestly effective. A deeper comprehension of the effects of varenicline by means of the in-depth review of relevant fMRI studies may assist in paving the development of more targeted and effective treatments. METHODOLOGY A search of PubMed and Google Scholar databases was conducted with the keywords "functional magnetic resonance imaging" or "fMRI", and "varenicline". All peer-reviewed articles regarding the assessment of smokers with fMRI while undergoing treatment with varenicline and meeting the predefined criteria were included. RESULTS Several studies utilizing different methodologies and targeting different aspects of brain function were identified. During nicotine withdrawal, decreased mesocorticolimbic activity and increased amygdala activity, as well as elevated amygdala-insula and insula-default-mode-network functional connectivity are alleviated by varenicline under specific testing conditions. However, other nicotine withdrawal-induced changes, including the decreased reward responsivity of the ventral striatum, the bilateral dorsal striatum and the anterior cingulate cortex are not influenced by varenicline suggesting a task-dependent divergence in neurocircuitry activation. Under satiety, varenicline treatment is associated with diminished cue-induced activation of the ventral striatum and medial orbitofrontal cortex concomitant with reduced cravings; during the resting state, varenicline induces activation of the lateral orbitofrontal cortex and suppression of the right amygdala. CONCLUSIONS The current review provides important clues with regard to the neurobiological mechanism of action of varenicline and highlights promising research opportunities regarding the development of more selective and effective treatments and predictive biomarkers for treatment efficacy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Vassilis N Panagopoulos
- Laboratory for Human Brain Dynamics, AAI Scientific Cultural Services Ltd., Nicosia, Cyprus.
- Department of Physiology, Medical School, University of Patras, Patras, Greece.
| | - Alexis Bailey
- Pharmacology Section, St. George's University of London, London, UK
| | | | - Andreas A Ioannides
- Laboratory for Human Brain Dynamics, AAI Scientific Cultural Services Ltd., Nicosia, Cyprus
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2
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Houser SD, McNealy KR, Barrett ST, Bevins RA. Varenicline but not cotinine increased the value of a visual stimulus reinforcer in rats: No evidence for synergy of the two compounds. Pharmacol Biochem Behav 2024; 235:173702. [PMID: 38154590 DOI: 10.1016/j.pbb.2023.173702] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/09/2023] [Revised: 11/29/2023] [Accepted: 12/22/2023] [Indexed: 12/30/2023]
Abstract
Smoking is the leading cause of preventable death worldwide, with <7 % of smoking cessation attempts being met with success. Nicotine, the main addictive agent in cigarettes, enhances the reinforcing value of other environmental rewards. Under some circumstances, this reward enhancement maintains nicotine consumption. Varenicline (i.e., cessation aid Chantix™) also has reward-enhancement effects via nicotinic acetylcholine receptor agonism (nAChRs) - albeit less robust than nicotine. Cotinine is the major metabolite of nicotine. Recent studies suggest that cotinine is a positive allosteric modulator (PAM) and/or a weak agonist at nAChRs. Thus, cotinine may enhance the behavioral effects of nAChR compounds such as varenicline and/or exert some behavioral effects alone. We used 20 (10M, 10F) Sprague-Dawley rats to assess reward-enhancement within-subjects by examining responding maintained by a reinforcing visual stimulus on a Variable Ratio 2 schedule of reinforcement. To assess the reward-enhancing effects of cotinine, rats received one injection of cotinine (saline, 0.1, 0.3, 1.0, 3.0, 6.0 mg/kg) before each 1 h session. To assess cotinine and varenicline interactions, rats received an injection of cotinine (saline, 0.1, 1.0, or 6.0 mg/kg) and of varenicline (saline, 0.1, 0.3, 1.0, or 3.0 mg/kg) before the session. While we replicated prior work identifying reward-enhancement by 0.1, 0.3, and 1.0 mg/kg varenicline, cotinine alone did not produce reward-enhancement nor augment the reward-enhancing effects of varenicline. Future studies may consider examining the reward-enhancing effects of cotinine with other reinforcers or co-administered with other smoking cessation aids such as bupropion.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sydney D Houser
- Department of Psychology, University of Nebraska-Lincoln, 238 Burnett Hall, Lincoln, NE 68588-0308, USA
| | - Kathleen R McNealy
- Department of Psychology, University of Nebraska-Lincoln, 238 Burnett Hall, Lincoln, NE 68588-0308, USA
| | - Scott T Barrett
- Department of Psychology, University of Nebraska-Lincoln, 238 Burnett Hall, Lincoln, NE 68588-0308, USA
| | - Rick A Bevins
- Department of Psychology, University of Nebraska-Lincoln, 238 Burnett Hall, Lincoln, NE 68588-0308, USA.
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Olsson Y, Lidö H, Ademar K, Cadeddu D, Ericson M, Söderpalm B. The GlyT1-inhibitor Org 24598 facilitates the alcohol deprivation abolishing and dopamine elevating effects of bupropion + varenicline in rats. J Neural Transm (Vienna) 2024; 131:95-106. [PMID: 37773223 PMCID: PMC10769923 DOI: 10.1007/s00702-023-02701-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/04/2023] [Accepted: 09/18/2023] [Indexed: 10/01/2023]
Abstract
Alcohol Use Disorder (AUD) is a relapsing brain disorder that involves perturbations of brain dopamine (DA) systems, and combined treatment with varenicline + bupropion produces additive effects on accumbal DA output and abolishes the alcohol deprivation effect (ADE) in rats. Also, direct and indirect glycine receptor (GlyR) agonists raise basal DA, attenuate alcohol-induced DA release in the nucleus Accumbens (nAc) and reduce alcohol consumption in rats. This study in rats examines whether the GlyT1-inhibitor Org 24598, an indirect GlyR agonist, enhances the ADE-reducing and DA elevating action of the combined administration of varenicline + bupropion in lower doses than previously applied. Effects on voluntary alcohol consumption, the ADE and extracellular levels of glycine and DA in nAc were examined following treatment with Org 24598 6 and 9 mg/kg i.p., bupropion 3.75 mg/kg i.p. and varenicline 1.5 mg/kg s.c., in monotherapy or combined, using a two-bottle, free-choice alcohol consumption paradigm with an ADE paradigm, and in vivo microdialysis in male Wistar rats. Notably, all treatment regimens appeared to abolish the ADE but only the effect produced by the triple combination (Org24598 + varenicline + bupropion) was significant compared to vehicle. Hence, addition of Org 24598 may enhance the ADE-reducing action of varenicline + bupropion and appears to allow for a dose reduction of bupropion. Treatment with Org 24598 raised accumbal glycine levels but did not significantly alter DA output in monotherapy. Varenicline + bupropion produced a substantial elevation in accumbal DA output that was slightly enhanced following addition of Org 24598. Conceivably, the blockade of the ADE is achieved by the triple combination enhancing accumbal DA transmission in complementary ways, thereby alleviating a hypothesized hypodopaminergia and negative reinforcement to drink. Ultimately, combining an indirect or direct GlyR agonist with varenicline + bupropion may constitute a new pharmacological treatment principle for AUD, although further refinement in dosing and evaluation of other glycinergic compounds are warranted.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yasmin Olsson
- Addiction Biology Unit, Department of Psychiatry and Neurochemistry, Institute of Neuroscience and Physiology, Sahlgrenska Academy, University of Gothenburg, PO Box 410, 405 30, Gothenburg, SE, Sweden.
- Beroendekliniken, Sahlgrenska University Hospital, Gothenburg, Sweden.
- Department of Neurology, Sahlgrenska University Hospital, Gothenburg, Sweden.
| | - Helga Lidö
- Addiction Biology Unit, Department of Psychiatry and Neurochemistry, Institute of Neuroscience and Physiology, Sahlgrenska Academy, University of Gothenburg, PO Box 410, 405 30, Gothenburg, SE, Sweden
- Beroendekliniken, Sahlgrenska University Hospital, Gothenburg, Sweden
| | - Karin Ademar
- Addiction Biology Unit, Department of Psychiatry and Neurochemistry, Institute of Neuroscience and Physiology, Sahlgrenska Academy, University of Gothenburg, PO Box 410, 405 30, Gothenburg, SE, Sweden
| | - Davide Cadeddu
- Addiction Biology Unit, Department of Psychiatry and Neurochemistry, Institute of Neuroscience and Physiology, Sahlgrenska Academy, University of Gothenburg, PO Box 410, 405 30, Gothenburg, SE, Sweden
| | - Mia Ericson
- Addiction Biology Unit, Department of Psychiatry and Neurochemistry, Institute of Neuroscience and Physiology, Sahlgrenska Academy, University of Gothenburg, PO Box 410, 405 30, Gothenburg, SE, Sweden
| | - Bo Söderpalm
- Addiction Biology Unit, Department of Psychiatry and Neurochemistry, Institute of Neuroscience and Physiology, Sahlgrenska Academy, University of Gothenburg, PO Box 410, 405 30, Gothenburg, SE, Sweden
- Beroendekliniken, Sahlgrenska University Hospital, Gothenburg, Sweden
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4
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Shaykhutdinova ER, Severyukhina MS, Kholoshenko IV, Gondarenko EA, Shelukhina IV, Kryukova EV, Ismailova AM, Sadovnikova ES, Dyachenko IA, Murashev AN, Tsetlin VI, Utkin YN. Anti-smoking drugs cytisine and varenicline reduce cardiac reperfusion injury in rat model of myocardial ischemia. Biochimie 2024; 216:108-119. [PMID: 37871826 DOI: 10.1016/j.biochi.2023.10.011] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/13/2023] [Revised: 10/13/2023] [Accepted: 10/16/2023] [Indexed: 10/25/2023]
Abstract
Evidence to date indicates that activation of nicotinic acetylcholine receptors (nAChRs) can reduce cardiac injury from ischemia and subsequent reperfusion. The use of nAChR agonists in various animal models leads to a reduction in reperfusion injury. Earlier this effect was shown for the agonists of α7 nAChR subtype. In this work, we demonstrated the expression of mRNA encoding α4, α6 and β2 nAChR subunits in the left ventricle of rat heart. In a rat model of myocardial ischemia, we studied the effect of α4β2 nAChR agonists cytisine and varenicline, medicines used for the treatment of nicotine addiction, and found them to significantly reduce myocardium ischemia-reperfusion injury, varenicline manifesting a higher protection. Dihydro-β-erythroidine, antagonist of α4β2 nAChR, as well as methyllycaconitine, antagonist of α7 and α6β2-containing nAChR, prevented protective effect of varenicline. This together with the presence of α4, α6 and β2 subunit mRNA in the left ventricule of rat heart raises the possibility that the varenicline effect is mediated by α4β2 as well as by α7 and/or α6β2-containing receptors. Our results point to a new way for the use of cytisine and varenicline as cardioprotective agents.
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Affiliation(s)
- Elvira R Shaykhutdinova
- Biological Testing Laboratory, Branch of Shemyakin-Ovchinnikov Institute of Bioorganic Chemistry, Russian Academy of Sciences (BIBCh RAS), 6 Prospekt Nauki, 142290, Pushchino, Russia.
| | - Maria S Severyukhina
- Pushchino Branch of the Federal State Budgetary Educational Institution of Higher Education "Russian Biotechnological University (BIOTECH University)", 3 Prospekt Nauki, 142290, Pushchino, Russia.
| | - Inna V Kholoshenko
- Department of Molecular Neuroimmune Signaling, Shemyakin-Ovchinnikov Institute of Bioorganic Chemistry, Russian Academy of Sciences (IBCh RAS), 16/10 Miklukho-Maklay Str., 117997, Moscow, Russia; Mendeleev University of Chemical Technology of Russia, 9 Miusskaya square, 125047, Moscow, Russia.
| | - Elena A Gondarenko
- Department of Molecular Neuroimmune Signaling, Shemyakin-Ovchinnikov Institute of Bioorganic Chemistry, Russian Academy of Sciences (IBCh RAS), 16/10 Miklukho-Maklay Str., 117997, Moscow, Russia.
| | - Irina V Shelukhina
- Department of Molecular Neuroimmune Signaling, Shemyakin-Ovchinnikov Institute of Bioorganic Chemistry, Russian Academy of Sciences (IBCh RAS), 16/10 Miklukho-Maklay Str., 117997, Moscow, Russia.
| | - Elena V Kryukova
- Department of Molecular Neuroimmune Signaling, Shemyakin-Ovchinnikov Institute of Bioorganic Chemistry, Russian Academy of Sciences (IBCh RAS), 16/10 Miklukho-Maklay Str., 117997, Moscow, Russia.
| | - Alina M Ismailova
- Biological Testing Laboratory, Branch of Shemyakin-Ovchinnikov Institute of Bioorganic Chemistry, Russian Academy of Sciences (BIBCh RAS), 6 Prospekt Nauki, 142290, Pushchino, Russia.
| | - Elena S Sadovnikova
- Biological Testing Laboratory, Branch of Shemyakin-Ovchinnikov Institute of Bioorganic Chemistry, Russian Academy of Sciences (BIBCh RAS), 6 Prospekt Nauki, 142290, Pushchino, Russia.
| | - Igor A Dyachenko
- Biological Testing Laboratory, Branch of Shemyakin-Ovchinnikov Institute of Bioorganic Chemistry, Russian Academy of Sciences (BIBCh RAS), 6 Prospekt Nauki, 142290, Pushchino, Russia.
| | - Arkady N Murashev
- Biological Testing Laboratory, Branch of Shemyakin-Ovchinnikov Institute of Bioorganic Chemistry, Russian Academy of Sciences (BIBCh RAS), 6 Prospekt Nauki, 142290, Pushchino, Russia.
| | - Victor I Tsetlin
- Department of Molecular Neuroimmune Signaling, Shemyakin-Ovchinnikov Institute of Bioorganic Chemistry, Russian Academy of Sciences (IBCh RAS), 16/10 Miklukho-Maklay Str., 117997, Moscow, Russia.
| | - Yuri N Utkin
- Department of Molecular Neuroimmune Signaling, Shemyakin-Ovchinnikov Institute of Bioorganic Chemistry, Russian Academy of Sciences (IBCh RAS), 16/10 Miklukho-Maklay Str., 117997, Moscow, Russia.
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Esaki H, Deyama S, Izumi S, Katsura A, Nishikawa K, Nishitani N, Kaneda K. Varenicline enhances recognition memory via α7 nicotinic acetylcholine receptors in the medial prefrontal cortex in male mice. Neuropharmacology 2023; 239:109672. [PMID: 37506875 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuropharm.2023.109672] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/15/2023] [Revised: 07/20/2023] [Accepted: 07/24/2023] [Indexed: 07/30/2023]
Abstract
Previous studies postulated that chronic administration of varenicline, a partial and full agonist at α4β2 and α7 nicotinic acetylcholine receptors (nAChRs), respectively, enhances recognition memory. However, whether its acute administration is effective, on which brain region(s) it acts, and in what signaling it is involved, remain unknown. To address these issues, we conducted a novel object recognition test using male C57BL/6J mice, focusing on the medial prefrontal cortex (mPFC), a brain region associated with nicotine-induced enhancement of recognition memory. Systemic administration of varenicline before the training dose-dependently enhanced recognition memory. Intra-mPFC varenicline infusion also enhanced recognition memory, and this enhancement was blocked by intra-mPFC co-infusion of a selective α7, but not α4β2, nAChR antagonist. Consistent with this, intra-mPFC infusion of a selective α7 nAChR agonist augmented object recognition memory. Furthermore, intra-mPFC co-infusion of U-73122, a phospholipase C (PLC) inhibitor, or 2-aminoethoxydiphenylborane (2-APB), an inositol trisphosphate (IP3) receptor inhibitor, suppressed the varenicline-induced memory enhancement, suggesting that α7 nAChRs may also act as Gq-coupled metabotropic receptors. Additionally, whole-cell recordings from mPFC layer V pyramidal neurons in vitro revealed that varenicline significantly increased the summation of evoked excitatory postsynaptic potentials, and this effect was suppressed by U-73122 or 2-APB. These findings suggest that varenicline might acutely enhance recognition memory via mPFC α7 nAChR stimulation, followed by mPFC neuronal excitation, which is mediated by the activation of PLC and IP3 receptor signaling. Our study provides evidence supporting the potential repositioning of varenicline as a treatment for cognitive impairment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hirohito Esaki
- Laboratory of Molecular Pharmacology, Institute of Medical, Pharmaceutical and Health Sciences, Kanazawa University, Kanazawa, 920-1192, Japan
| | - Satoshi Deyama
- Laboratory of Molecular Pharmacology, Institute of Medical, Pharmaceutical and Health Sciences, Kanazawa University, Kanazawa, 920-1192, Japan
| | - Shoma Izumi
- Laboratory of Molecular Pharmacology, Institute of Medical, Pharmaceutical and Health Sciences, Kanazawa University, Kanazawa, 920-1192, Japan
| | - Ayano Katsura
- Laboratory of Molecular Pharmacology, Institute of Medical, Pharmaceutical and Health Sciences, Kanazawa University, Kanazawa, 920-1192, Japan
| | - Keisuke Nishikawa
- Laboratory of Molecular Pharmacology, Institute of Medical, Pharmaceutical and Health Sciences, Kanazawa University, Kanazawa, 920-1192, Japan
| | - Naoya Nishitani
- Laboratory of Molecular Pharmacology, Institute of Medical, Pharmaceutical and Health Sciences, Kanazawa University, Kanazawa, 920-1192, Japan
| | - Katsuyuki Kaneda
- Laboratory of Molecular Pharmacology, Institute of Medical, Pharmaceutical and Health Sciences, Kanazawa University, Kanazawa, 920-1192, Japan.
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Thompson BM, Tracy ME, Huynh YW, Dwoskin LP, Barrett ST, Bevins RA. Varenicline serves as the training stimulus in the drug-discriminated goal-tracking task with rats: initial evaluation of potential neuropharmacological processes. Behav Pharmacol 2023; 34:12-19. [PMID: 36730812 PMCID: PMC9908820 DOI: 10.1097/fbp.0000000000000707] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/04/2023]
Abstract
Varenicline (Chantix) is an FDA-approved smoking cessation aid that is pharmacologically similar to nicotine, the primary addictive component found within tobacco. In support of this similarity, previous drug discrimination research in rats has reported that the internal or interoceptive stimulus effects of nicotine and varenicline share stimulus elements. Those shared elements appear to be mediated, in part, by overlapping action at alpha4beta2-containing nicotinic acetylcholine receptors (nAChRs). The research supporting this conclusion, however, has only used nicotine, and not varenicline, as the training drug. Accordingly, we used the discriminated goal tracking (DGT) task in which 1 mg/kg varenicline signaled intermittent access to sucrose. On separate intermixed saline days, sucrose was not available. Rats acquired the discrimination as measured by a differential increase in dipper entries (goal tracking) evoked by varenicline. These rats then received a series of tests with several doses of varenicline, nicotine, nornicotine (a metabolite of nicotine and tobacco alkaloid), sazetidine-A (a partial alpha4beta2 agonist), PHA-543613 (an alpha7 agonist), and bupropion (a norepinephrine and dopamine reuptake inhibitor). Control of goal tracking by varenicline was dose-dependent. Nicotine and nornicotine evoked responding comparable to the varenicline training dose indicating full substitution. Sazetidine-A partially substituted for the varenicline stimulus, whereas bupropion and PHA-543613 evoked little to no varenicline-like responding. These findings indicate that varenicline can serve as the training stimulus in the DGT task. Further, stimulus control of varenicline in the DGT task is driven by its partial agonist activity at alpha4beta2-containing nAChRs. The use of this approach could lead to a better understanding of the pharmacological action of varenicline and help guide treatment geared towards tobacco cessation through a more targeted development of novel synthetically designed, subunit-specific pharmacological interventions.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | - Y. Wendy Huynh
- Department of Psychology, University of Nebraska-Lincoln
| | - Linda P. Dwoskin
- Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, College of Pharmacy, University of Kentucky
| | | | - Rick A. Bevins
- Department of Psychology, University of Nebraska-Lincoln
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Zhang HJ, Zammit M, Kao CM, Govind AP, Mitchell S, Holderman N, Bhuiyan M, Freifelder R, Kucharski A, Zhuang X, Mukherjee J, Chen CT, Green WN. Trapping of Nicotinic Acetylcholine Receptor Ligands Assayed by In Vitro Cellular Studies and In Vivo PET Imaging. J Neurosci 2023; 43:2-13. [PMID: 36028313 PMCID: PMC9838697 DOI: 10.1523/jneurosci.2484-21.2022] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/17/2021] [Revised: 08/07/2022] [Accepted: 08/13/2022] [Indexed: 01/19/2023] Open
Abstract
A question relevant to nicotine addiction is how nicotine and other nicotinic receptor membrane-permeant ligands, such as the anti-smoking drug varenicline (Chantix), distribute in brain. Ligands, like varenicline, with high pKa and high affinity for α4β2-type nicotinic receptors (α4β2Rs) are trapped in intracellular acidic vesicles containing α4β2Rs in vitro Nicotine, with lower pKa and α4β2R affinity, is not trapped. Here, we extend our results by imaging nicotinic PET ligands in vivo in male and female mouse brain and identifying the trapping brain organelle in vitro as Golgi satellites (GSats). Two PET 18F-labeled imaging ligands were chosen: [18F]2-FA85380 (2-FA) with varenicline-like pKa and affinity and [18F]Nifene with nicotine-like pKa and affinity. [18F]2-FA PET-imaging kinetics were very slow consistent with 2-FA trapping in α4β2R-containing GSats. In contrast, [18F]Nifene kinetics were rapid, consistent with its binding to α4β2Rs but no trapping. Specific [18F]2-FA and [18F]Nifene signals were eliminated in β2 subunit knock-out (KO) mice or by acute nicotine (AN) injections demonstrating binding to sites on β2-containing receptors. Chloroquine (CQ), which dissipates GSat pH gradients, reduced [18F]2-FA distributions while having little effect on [18F]Nifene distributions in vivo consistent with only [18F]2-FA trapping in GSats. These results are further supported by in vitro findings where dissipation of GSat pH gradients blocks 2-FA trapping in GSats without affecting Nifene. By combining in vitro and in vivo imaging, we mapped both the brain-wide and subcellular distributions of weak-base nicotinic receptor ligands. We conclude that ligands, such as varenicline, are trapped in neurons in α4β2R-containing GSats, which results in very slow release long after nicotine is gone after smoking.SIGNIFICANCE STATEMENT Mechanisms of nicotine addiction remain poorly understood. An earlier study using in vitro methods found that the anti-smoking nicotinic ligand, varenicline (Chantix) was trapped in α4β2R-containing acidic vesicles. Using a fluorescent-labeled high-affinity nicotinic ligand, this study provided evidence that these intracellular acidic vesicles were α4β2R-containing Golgi satellites (GSats). In vivo PET imaging with F-18-labeled nicotinic ligands provided additional evidence that differences in PET ligand trapping in acidic vesicles were the cause of differences in PET ligand kinetics and subcellular distributions. These findings combining in vitro and in vivo imaging revealed new mechanistic insights into the kinetics of weak base PET imaging ligands and the subcellular mechanisms underlying nicotine addiction.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hannah J Zhang
- Department of Radiology, University of Chicago, Chicago, Illinois 60637
| | - Matthew Zammit
- Department of Radiology, University of Chicago, Chicago, Illinois 60637
| | - Chien-Min Kao
- Department of Radiology, University of Chicago, Chicago, Illinois 60637
| | - Anitha P Govind
- Department of Neurobiology, University of Chicago, Chicago, Illinois 60637
| | - Samuel Mitchell
- Department of Radiology, University of Chicago, Chicago, Illinois 60637
| | | | - Mohammed Bhuiyan
- Department of Radiology, University of Chicago, Chicago, Illinois 60637
| | | | - Anna Kucharski
- Department of Radiology, University of Chicago, Chicago, Illinois 60637
| | - Xiaoxi Zhuang
- Department of Neurobiology, University of Chicago, Chicago, Illinois 60637
| | - Jogeshwar Mukherjee
- Departments of Preclinical Imaging and Radiological Sciences, University of California, Irvine, California 92697
| | - Chin-Tu Chen
- Department of Radiology, University of Chicago, Chicago, Illinois 60637
| | - William N Green
- Department of Neurobiology, University of Chicago, Chicago, Illinois 60637
- Marine Biological Laboratory, Woods Hole, Massachusetts 02543
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8
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Zaso MJ, Hendershot CS. Effects of varenicline and bupropion on laboratory smoking outcomes: Meta-analysis of randomized, placebo-controlled human laboratory studies. Addict Biol 2022; 27:e13218. [PMID: 36001439 PMCID: PMC9413474 DOI: 10.1111/adb.13218] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/04/2022] [Revised: 07/14/2022] [Accepted: 07/17/2022] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Abstract
Human laboratory studies are widely used to evaluate behavioural mechanisms of pharmacotherapy effects. Results from human laboratory studies examining smoking cessation pharmacotherapies have not been examined in aggregate. The current meta-analysis aimed to synthesize data from randomized, placebo-controlled human laboratory studies on the effects of non-nicotine pharmacotherapies on outcomes relevant for smoking cessation. Literature searches identified 15 human laboratory studies of varenicline (n = 697) and 9 studies of bupropion (n = 313) with sufficient data for inclusion. Studies involved acute or subacute pharmacotherapy treatment with administration durations ranging from a single dose to 8 weeks. Primary outcomes examined were craving, withdrawal and behavioural indices of smoking. Varenicline significantly reduced craving (Hedge's g = -0.36[-0.54,-0.17], p < 0.001), withdrawal (g = -0.25[-0.41,-0.09], p = 0.003) and behavioural indices of smoking (g = -0.36[-0.63,-0.08], p = 0.01) relative to placebo. In contrast, results were inconclusive regarding bupropion's effects on craving (g = -0.13[-0.32,0.05], p = 0.15), withdrawal (g = -0.15[-0.44,0.14], p = 0.31) and behavioural indices of smoking (g = -0.05[-0.35,0.24], p = 0.73) relative to placebo. Findings provide meta-analytic support that short-term varenicline treatment decreases craving, withdrawal symptoms and smoking behaviour under controlled laboratory conditions. However, findings also suggest the ability of human laboratory paradigms to detect pharmacotherapy effects may differ by treatment type. Pharmacotherapy discovery and evaluation efforts utilizing human laboratory methods should aim to align study designs and laboratory procedures with presumed therapeutic mechanisms when possible.
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Affiliation(s)
- Michelle J. Zaso
- Clinical and Research Institute on Addictions, University at Buffalo – The State University of New York, Buffalo, NY USA
| | - Christian S. Hendershot
- Bowles Center for Alcohol Studies, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC, USA
- Department of Psychiatry, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC, USA
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9
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Nall RW, Beloate LN, Meyerink ME, Penaloza T, Doolittle J, Froeliger B, Kalivas PW, Garcia-Keller C. Assessing combined effects of varenicline and N-acetylcysteine on reducing nicotine seeking in rats. Addict Biol 2022; 27:e13151. [PMID: 35229943 PMCID: PMC10777539 DOI: 10.1111/adb.13151] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/12/2021] [Revised: 12/22/2021] [Accepted: 01/14/2022] [Indexed: 11/27/2022]
Abstract
Nicotine addiction is a chronic relapsing brain disorder, and cigarette smoking is the leading cause of preventable death in the United States. Currently, the most effective pharmacotherapy for smoking cessation is Varenicline (VRN), which reduces both positive and negative reinforcement by nicotine. Clinically, VRN attenuates withdrawal symptoms and promotes abstinence, but >50% of smokers relapse within 3 months following a quit attempt. This may indicate that VRN fails to ameliorate components of nicotine-induced neuroplasticity that promote relapse vulnerability. Animal models reveal that glutamate dysregulation in the nucleus accumbens is associated with nicotine relapse. N-acetylcysteine (NAC) normalizes glutamate transmission and prolongs cocaine abstinence. Thus, combining VRN and NAC may promote and maintain, respectively, nicotine abstinence. In rats, we found that VRN effectively reduced nicotine self-administration and seeking in early abstinence, but not seeking later in abstinence. In contrast, NAC reduced seeking only later in abstinence. Because VRN and NAC are sometimes associated with mild adverse effects, we also evaluated a sequential approach combining subthreshold doses of VRN during self-administration and early abstinence with subthreshold doses of NAC during late abstinence. As expected, subthreshold VRN did not reduce nicotine intake. However, subthreshold VRN and NAC reduced seeking in late abstinence, suggesting a combined effect. Overall, our results suggest that combining subthreshold VRN and NAC is a viable and drug-specific approach to promote abstinence and reduce relapse while minimizing adverse effects. Our data also suggest that different components and time points in addiction engage the different neurocircuits targeted by VRN and NAC.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rusty W. Nall
- Department of Neuroscience, Medical University of South Carolina, 173 Ashley Ave, Charleston, SC 29425
- Department of Psychology, Jacksonville State University, 700 Pelham Rd. N., Jacksonville, AL, 36265
| | - Lauren N. Beloate
- Department of Neuroscience, Medical University of South Carolina, 173 Ashley Ave, Charleston, SC 29425
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, The Pennsylvania State University, 122 Chemical and Biomedical Engineering Building, University Park, PA 16802
| | - Michael E. Meyerink
- Department of Neuroscience, Medical University of South Carolina, 173 Ashley Ave, Charleston, SC 29425
| | - Tiffany Penaloza
- Department of Neuroscience, Medical University of South Carolina, 173 Ashley Ave, Charleston, SC 29425
| | - Jade Doolittle
- Department of Neuroscience, Medical University of South Carolina, 173 Ashley Ave, Charleston, SC 29425
| | - Brett Froeliger
- Department of Neuroscience, Medical University of South Carolina, 173 Ashley Ave, Charleston, SC 29425
- Department of Psychiatry, Department of Psychological Sciences, University of Missouri-Columbia, 1 Hospital Dr, Columbia, MO 65201
| | - Peter W. Kalivas
- Department of Neuroscience, Medical University of South Carolina, 173 Ashley Ave, Charleston, SC 29425
| | - Constanza Garcia-Keller
- Department of Neuroscience, Medical University of South Carolina, 173 Ashley Ave, Charleston, SC 29425
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10
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Goldstein N, Carty JRE, Betley JN. Specificity of Varenicline in Blocking Mesolimbic Circuit Activation to Natural and Drug Rewards. Neuroscience 2022; 483:40-51. [PMID: 34923039 PMCID: PMC8837713 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuroscience.2021.12.016] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/03/2021] [Revised: 12/09/2021] [Accepted: 12/10/2021] [Indexed: 12/21/2022]
Abstract
The mesolimbic dopamine (DA) system reinforces behaviors that are critical for survival. However, drug dependence can occur when drugs of abuse, such as nicotine, highjack this reinforcement system. Pharmacologically targeting the DA system to selectively block drug reinforcement requires a detailed understanding of the neural circuits and molecular pathways that lead to the reward-based activation of mesolimbic circuits. Varenicline is an approved smoking cessation drug that has been shown to block nicotine-evoked DA increases in the nucleus accumbens (NAc) through action on nicotinic acetylcholine receptors. Because these receptors have been implicated in the reinforcement of other addictive substances, we explored the possibility that varenicline could broadly affect reward processing. We used in vivo fiber photometry to monitor midbrain DA neuron activity and striatal DA levels following either natural or drug rewards in mice treated with varenicline. We demonstrate that varenicline pretreatment enhances the suppression of nicotine-evoked DA release by attenuating DA neuron activity in the VTA. Varenicline's ability to attenuate DA release is highly specific to nicotine, and varenicline slightly elevates DA release when co-administered with morphine or ethanol. Furthermore, varenicline has no effect on DA release in response to naturally rewarding behavior such as food intake or exercise. These results demonstrate the exquisite specificity with which varenicline blocks nicotine reward and highlight the complexity with which different rewards activate the mesolimbic DA system.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nitsan Goldstein
- Department of Biology, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA 19104, United States
| | - Jamie R E Carty
- Department of Biology, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA 19104, United States
| | - J Nicholas Betley
- Department of Biology, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA 19104, United States.
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11
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Wang J, Zhu S, Lu W, Li A, Zhou Y, Chen Y, Chen M, Qian C, Hu X, Zhang Y, Huang C. Varenicline improved laparotomy-induced cognitive impairment by restoring mitophagy in aged mice. Eur J Pharmacol 2022; 916:174524. [PMID: 34582844 DOI: 10.1016/j.ejphar.2021.174524] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/29/2021] [Revised: 09/16/2021] [Accepted: 09/22/2021] [Indexed: 01/06/2023]
Abstract
Growing incidence of postoperative cognitive dysfunction (POCD) in the elderly populations after major surgery challenges us to provide stable and effective treatments. Mitochondria dysfunction is essential in the pathogenesis of aging and neurodegenerative diseases. It is hypothesized that varenicline improves cognitive impairment through restoring mitophagy and tau phosphorylation. Wild type C57BL/6 mice (male, 18-month-old) were subjected to laparotomy with or without chronic varenicline administration. Postoperative cognition and anxiety were determined by Morris water maze and elevated plus maze tests. Meanwhile, oxidative stress, mitochondria function, mitophagy and tau phosphorylation, as well as the correlation of PKR and STAT3 were characterized. In aged mice following laparotomy, persistent cognitive dysfunction in spatial learning and memory were indicated by longer escape latency and less crossing frequency in the target quadrant. Laparotomy also induced anxiety responses deficits. After postoperative 14 days, significant ROS accumulation and smaller mitochondria with impaired function were presented in the hippocampus. Simultaneously, there were abundant of neuronal apoptosis and translocation of tau phosphorylation in the mitochondria. Enhanced mitophagy and down regulated ChAT activity were distributed in the mice subjected to laparotomy. PKR signaling was activated and required for subcellular activation of STAT3 in the brain. After chronic varenicline administration (1 mg/kg/day), cognitive dysfunction, hippocampal oxidative stress, as well as fragile mitophagy were improved. Our results highlight that laparotomy caused cognitive impairment with persistent oxidative stress, mitochondria dysfunction and autophagy dysregulation. PKR/STAT3 maybe the potential mechanism, and perioperative varenicline treatment could be an efficient therapeutic strategy for POCD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jianan Wang
- Department of Anesthesiology, The Second Affiliated Hospital of Anhui Medical University, Hefei City, Anhui Province, China; Key Laboratory of Anesthesiology and Perioperative Medicine of Anhui Higher Education Institutes, Anhui Medical University, Hefei City, Anhui Province, China; Scientific Research and Experiment Center of the Second Affiliated Hospital of Anhui Medical University, Hefei City, Anhui Province, China
| | - Shoufeng Zhu
- Department of Anesthesiology, The Second Affiliated Hospital of Anhui Medical University, Hefei City, Anhui Province, China; Key Laboratory of Anesthesiology and Perioperative Medicine of Anhui Higher Education Institutes, Anhui Medical University, Hefei City, Anhui Province, China; Scientific Research and Experiment Center of the Second Affiliated Hospital of Anhui Medical University, Hefei City, Anhui Province, China
| | - Wenping Lu
- Department of Anesthesiology, The Second Affiliated Hospital of Anhui Medical University, Hefei City, Anhui Province, China; Key Laboratory of Anesthesiology and Perioperative Medicine of Anhui Higher Education Institutes, Anhui Medical University, Hefei City, Anhui Province, China; Scientific Research and Experiment Center of the Second Affiliated Hospital of Anhui Medical University, Hefei City, Anhui Province, China
| | - Ao Li
- The Second Clinical Medical College of Anhui Medical University, Hefei City, Anhui Province, China
| | - Yuqi Zhou
- The Second Clinical Medical College of Anhui Medical University, Hefei City, Anhui Province, China
| | - Yihuan Chen
- The Second Clinical Medical College of Anhui Medical University, Hefei City, Anhui Province, China
| | - Ming Chen
- The Second Clinical Medical College of Anhui Medical University, Hefei City, Anhui Province, China
| | - Cheng Qian
- Center for Scientific Research of Anhui Medical University, Hefei City, Anhui Province, China
| | - Xianwen Hu
- Department of Anesthesiology, The Second Affiliated Hospital of Anhui Medical University, Hefei City, Anhui Province, China; Key Laboratory of Anesthesiology and Perioperative Medicine of Anhui Higher Education Institutes, Anhui Medical University, Hefei City, Anhui Province, China; Scientific Research and Experiment Center of the Second Affiliated Hospital of Anhui Medical University, Hefei City, Anhui Province, China
| | - Ye Zhang
- Department of Anesthesiology, The Second Affiliated Hospital of Anhui Medical University, Hefei City, Anhui Province, China; Key Laboratory of Anesthesiology and Perioperative Medicine of Anhui Higher Education Institutes, Anhui Medical University, Hefei City, Anhui Province, China; Scientific Research and Experiment Center of the Second Affiliated Hospital of Anhui Medical University, Hefei City, Anhui Province, China
| | - Chunxia Huang
- Department of Anesthesiology, The Second Affiliated Hospital of Anhui Medical University, Hefei City, Anhui Province, China; Key Laboratory of Anesthesiology and Perioperative Medicine of Anhui Higher Education Institutes, Anhui Medical University, Hefei City, Anhui Province, China; Scientific Research and Experiment Center of the Second Affiliated Hospital of Anhui Medical University, Hefei City, Anhui Province, China.
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12
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Abstract
Tobacco use disorder is highly prevalent; more than a billion individuals use tobacco worldwide. Popular views on the addictive potential of tobacco often underestimate the complex neural adaptations that underpin continued use. Although sometimes trivialized as a minor substance, effects of nicotine on behavior lead to profound morbidity over a lifetime of exposure. Innovations in processing have led to potent forms of tobacco and delivery devices. Proactive treatment strategies focus on pharmacotherapeutic interventions. Innovations on the horizon hold promise to help clinicians address this problem in a phenotypically tailored manner. Efforts are needed to prevent tobacco use for future generations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Frank T Leone
- Comprehensive Smoking Treatment Program, Penn Lung Center, Suite 251 Wright-Saunders Building, 51 North 39th Street, Philadelphia, PA, USA; Abramson Cancer Center, University of Pennsylvania, Perelman School of Medicine, Philadelphia, PA, USA.
| | - Sarah Evers-Casey
- Comprehensive Smoking Treatment Program, Penn Lung Center, Suite 251 Wright-Saunders Building, 51 North 39th Street, Philadelphia, PA, USA
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13
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Jiménez-Pompa A, Sanz-Lázaro S, Hone AJ, Rueda-Ruzafa L, Medina-Polo J, González-Enguita C, Blázquez J, de Los Ríos C, Michael McIntosh J, Albillos A. Therapeutic concentrations of varenicline increases exocytotic release of catecholamines from human and rat adrenal chromaffin cells in the presence of nicotine. Neuropharmacology 2021; 195:108632. [PMID: 34097947 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuropharm.2021.108632] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/17/2021] [Revised: 04/30/2021] [Accepted: 05/20/2021] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Abstract
Cardiovascular side effects of varenicline and a case report of a hypertensive crisis in a varenicline-prescribed patient with pheochromocytoma have been reported. The goal of the present study was to determine whether such side effects might derive, in part, from increased exocytosis of secretory vesicles and subsequent catecholamine release triggered by varenicline in human chromaffin cells of the adrenal gland. In this study, we performed electrophysiological plasma membrane capacitance and carbon fiber amperometry experiments to evaluate the effect of varenicline on exocytosis and catecholamine release, respectively, at concentrations reached during varenicline therapy (100 nM). Experiments were conducted in the absence or presence of nicotine, at plasma concentrations achieved right after smoking (250 nM) or steady-state concentrations (110 nM), in chromaffin cells of the adrenal gland obtained from human organ donors. Cells were stimulated with short pulses (10 ms) of acetylcholine (ACh; 300 μM) applied at 0.2 Hz, in order to closer mimic the physiological situation at the splanchnic nerve-chromaffin cell synapse. In addition, rat chromaffin cells were used to compare the effects obtained in cells from a more readily available species. Varenicline increased the exocytosis of secretory vesicles in human and rat chromaffin cells in the presence of nicotine, effects that were not due to an increase of plasma membrane capacitance or currents triggered by the nicotinic agonists alone. These results should be considered in nicotine addiction therapies when varenicline is used.
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Affiliation(s)
- Amanda Jiménez-Pompa
- Departamento de Farmacología y Terapéutica, Universidad Autónoma de Madrid, Madrid, Spain; Instituto-Fundación Teófilo Hernando, Universidad Autónoma de Madrid, Madrid, Spain
| | - Sara Sanz-Lázaro
- Departamento de Farmacología y Terapéutica, Universidad Autónoma de Madrid, Madrid, Spain
| | - Arik J Hone
- Departamento de Farmacología y Terapéutica, Universidad Autónoma de Madrid, Madrid, Spain; School of Biological Sciences and Department of Psychiatry, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, Utah, USA
| | - Lola Rueda-Ruzafa
- Departamento de Farmacología y Terapéutica, Universidad Autónoma de Madrid, Madrid, Spain
| | - José Medina-Polo
- Servicio de Urología, Hospital Universitario 12 de Octubre, Instituto de Investigación I+12, Madrid, Spain
| | | | - Jesús Blázquez
- Servicio de Urología, Hospital Clínico San Carlos, Madrid, Spain
| | | | - J Michael McIntosh
- School of Biological Sciences and Department of Psychiatry, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, Utah, USA
| | - Almudena Albillos
- Departamento de Farmacología y Terapéutica, Universidad Autónoma de Madrid, Madrid, Spain; Instituto Ramón y Cajal de Investigación Biosanitaria (IRYCIS), Madrid, Spain.
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14
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Lawson SC, Gass JC, Cooper RK, Tonkin SS, Colder CR, Mahoney MC, Tiffany ST, Hawk LW. The impact of three weeks of pre-quit varenicline on reinforcing value and craving for cigarettes in a laboratory choice procedure. Psychopharmacology (Berl) 2021; 238:599-609. [PMID: 33219852 PMCID: PMC10031567 DOI: 10.1007/s00213-020-05713-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/10/2020] [Accepted: 11/10/2020] [Indexed: 12/16/2022]
Abstract
RATIONALE Varenicline, a partial nicotinic agonist, is theorized to attenuate pre-quit smoking reinforcement and post-quit withdrawal and craving. However, the mechanisms of action have not been fully characterized, as most studies employ only retrospective self-report measures, hypothetical indices of reinforcing value, and/or nontreatment-seeking samples. OBJECTIVES The current research examined the impact of pre-quit varenicline (vs. placebo) on laboratory measures of smoking and food (vs. water) reinforcement and craving. METHODS Participants were 162 treatment-seeking smokers enrolled in a randomized controlled trial of smoking cessation ( clinicaltrials.gov ID: NCT03262662). Participants completed two laboratory sessions: a pre-treatment session, ~ 1 week prior to beginning varenicline or placebo, and an active treatment session, after ~ 3 weeks of treatment. At each session, participants completed a laboratory choice procedure; on each of 36 trials, a lit cigarette, food item, or cup of water was randomly presented. Participants reported level of craving and spent $0.01-0.25 to have a corresponding 5-95% chance to sample the cue. RESULTS As predicted, spending was significantly higher on cigarette trials than water trials, and varenicline resulted in a greater between-session decline in spending on cigarette trials (but not water) than did placebo. Cigarette craving was enhanced in the presence of smoking cues compared to water, but neither average (tonic) cigarette craving nor cue-specific cigarette craving was significantly influenced by varenicline. Food spending and craving were generally unaffected by varenicline treatment. CONCLUSIONS These laboratory data from treatment-seeking smokers provide the strongest evidence to date that varenicline selectively attenuates smoking reinforcement prior to quitting.
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Affiliation(s)
- Schuyler C Lawson
- Department of Psychology, University at Buffalo (The State University of New York), Main Street, Buffalo, NY, 14214, USA
| | - Julie C Gass
- Department of Psychology, University at Buffalo (The State University of New York), Main Street, Buffalo, NY, 14214, USA
- Center for Integrated Healthcare, VA Western New York Healthcare System, 3495 Bailey Ave, Buffalo, NY, 14215, USA
| | - Robert K Cooper
- Department of Psychology, University at Buffalo (The State University of New York), Main Street, Buffalo, NY, 14214, USA
| | - Sarah S Tonkin
- Department of Psychology, University at Buffalo (The State University of New York), Main Street, Buffalo, NY, 14214, USA
| | - Craig R Colder
- Department of Psychology, University at Buffalo (The State University of New York), Main Street, Buffalo, NY, 14214, USA
| | - Martin C Mahoney
- Department of Psychology, University at Buffalo (The State University of New York), Main Street, Buffalo, NY, 14214, USA
- Department of Internal Medicine, Roswell Park Cancer Institute, Buffalo, NY, 14263, USA
| | - Stephen T Tiffany
- Department of Psychology, University at Buffalo (The State University of New York), Main Street, Buffalo, NY, 14214, USA
| | - Larry W Hawk
- Department of Psychology, University at Buffalo (The State University of New York), Main Street, Buffalo, NY, 14214, USA.
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15
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Ramírez-Salinas GL, Martínez-Archundia M, Correa-Basurto J, García-Machorro J. Repositioning of Ligands That Target the Spike Glycoprotein as Potential Drugs for SARS-CoV-2 in an In Silico Study. Molecules 2020; 25:E5615. [PMID: 33260370 PMCID: PMC7731341 DOI: 10.3390/molecules25235615] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/27/2020] [Revised: 11/26/2020] [Accepted: 11/28/2020] [Indexed: 12/16/2022] Open
Abstract
The worldwide health emergency of the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic and the absence of a specific treatment for this new coronavirus have led to the use of computational strategies (drug repositioning) to search for treatments. The aim of this work is to identify FDA (Food and Drug Administration)-approved drugs with the potential for binding to the spike structural glycoprotein at the hinge site, receptor binding motif (RBM), and fusion peptide (FP) using molecular docking simulations. Drugs that bind to amino acids are crucial for conformational changes, receptor recognition, and fusion of the viral membrane with the cell membrane. The results revealed some drugs that bind to hinge site amino acids (varenicline, or steroids such as betamethasone while other drugs bind to crucial amino acids in the RBM (naldemedine, atovaquone, cefotetan) or FP (azilsartan, maraviroc, and difluprednate); saquinavir binds both the RBM and the FP. Therefore, these drugs could inhibit spike glycoprotein and prevent viral entry as possible anti-COVID-19 drugs. Several drugs are in clinical studies; by focusing on other pharmacological agents (candesartan, atovaquone, losartan, maviroc and ritonavir) in this work we propose an additional target: the spike glycoprotein. These results can impact the proposed use of treatments that inhibit the first steps of the virus replication cycle.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gema Lizbeth Ramírez-Salinas
- Laboratorio de Diseño y Desarrollo de Nuevos Fármacos e Innovación Biotécnológica, Escuela Superior de Medicina, Instituto Politécnico Nacional, Mexico City 11340, Mexico; (G.L.R.-S.); (J.C.-B.)
| | - Marlet Martínez-Archundia
- Laboratorio de Diseño y Desarrollo de Nuevos Fármacos e Innovación Biotécnológica, Escuela Superior de Medicina, Instituto Politécnico Nacional, Mexico City 11340, Mexico; (G.L.R.-S.); (J.C.-B.)
| | - José Correa-Basurto
- Laboratorio de Diseño y Desarrollo de Nuevos Fármacos e Innovación Biotécnológica, Escuela Superior de Medicina, Instituto Politécnico Nacional, Mexico City 11340, Mexico; (G.L.R.-S.); (J.C.-B.)
| | - Jazmín García-Machorro
- Laboratorio de Medicina de Conservación, Escuela Superior de Medicina, Instituto Politécnico Nacional, Mexico City 11340, Mexico
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16
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Tonstad S, Arons C, Rollema H, Berlin I, Hajek P, Fagerström K, Els C, McRae T, Russ C. Varenicline: mode of action, efficacy, safety and accumulated experience salient for clinical populations. Curr Med Res Opin 2020; 36:713-730. [PMID: 32050807 DOI: 10.1080/03007995.2020.1729708] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/06/2023]
Abstract
Objective: Varenicline, a selective partial agonist of the α4β2 nicotinic acetylcholine receptor, is a smoking cessation pharmacotherapy that more than doubles the chance of quitting smoking at 6 months compared with placebo. This article reviews salient knowledge of the discovery, pharmacological characteristics, and the efficacy and safety of varenicline in general and in specific populations of smokers and provides recommendations to support use in clinical practice.Methods: Literature searches for varenicline were conducted using PubMed, with date limitations of 2000-2018 inclusive, using search terms covering the discovery, mechanism of action, pharmacokinetics, efficacy and safety in different populations of smokers, alternative quit approaches and combination therapy. Selection of safety and efficacy data was limited to clinical trials, meta-analyses and observational studies.Results: Standard administration of varenicline is efficacious in helping smokers to quit, including smokers with cardiovascular disease and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease. Furthermore, varenicline efficacy may be improved with pre-loading, a gradual quitting approach for smokers unwilling or unable to quit abruptly, and extended treatment in smokers who have recently quit to help maintain abstinence. Initial concerns regarding the association of varenicline with increased risk of neuropsychiatric and cardiovascular adverse events have been disproven after extensive clinical evaluations, and the benefit-risk profile of varenicline is considered favorable.Conclusions: Varenicline is efficacious and safe for all adult smokers with a range of clinical characteristics. Evidence suggests that approaches offering greater flexibility in timing and duration of treatment may further extend treatment efficacy and clinical reach.
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Affiliation(s)
- Serena Tonstad
- Department of Preventive Cardiology, Oslo University Hospital, Aker, Oslo, Norway
| | | | | | - Ivan Berlin
- Department of Pharmacology, Hôpital Pitié-Salpêtrière, Paris, France
- Centre Universitaire de Médecine Générale et Santé Publique, Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Peter Hajek
- Wolfson Institute of Preventive Medicine, Queen Mary University of London, London, UK
| | | | - Charl Els
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Alberta, Edmonton, AB, Canada
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17
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Thompson M, Schnoll R, Serrano K, Leone F, Gross R, Collman RG, Ashare RL. The effect of varenicline on mood and cognition in smokers with HIV. Psychopharmacology (Berl) 2020; 237:1223-1231. [PMID: 31938877 PMCID: PMC7125016 DOI: 10.1007/s00213-020-05451-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/24/2019] [Accepted: 01/02/2020] [Indexed: 01/24/2023]
Abstract
RATIONALE Barriers to smoking cessation, including negative affect and cognitive dysfunction, may contribute to high smoking rates among people living with HIV/AIDS (PLWH). Varenicline may help PLWH quit smoking by improving mood and cognition, yet this has not been explored. OBJECTIVES The goal of this study was to evaluate the effect of varenicline on mood and cognition among PLWH enrolled in a smoking cessation clinical trial. METHODS In this secondary analysis of a varenicline trial (NCT01710137), we assessed mood (depression, anxiety) and cognition (attention, working memory) at weeks 0 (baseline), 1, 3, and 12 (end-of-treatment, EOT). Primary outcomes were changes in mood and cognition from baseline to EOT. Secondarily, mood and cognition were evaluated as predictors of biochemically confirmed 7-day point-prevalence abstinence at EOT. RESULTS Overall, 173 subjects (87 varenicline, 86 placebo) were included. At EOT, varenicline reduced anxiety (P < 0.001), vs. placebo (P = 0.31; interaction P = 0.05). Across both treatment arms, reductions in anxiety from baseline to EOT were associated with a higher likelihood of abstinence (OR = 1.3, 95% CI 1.1 to 1.6, P = 0.01). There were no significant treatment by time interactions for cognition or depression. CONCLUSIONS These data suggest that varenicline operates, at least in part, by reducing anxiety. Anxiety should be an intervention target for smokers with HIV interested in quitting.
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Affiliation(s)
- Morgan Thompson
- Department of Psychiatry, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, 3535 Market Street, Suite 4100, Philadelphia, PA, USA
| | - Robert Schnoll
- Department of Psychiatry, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, 3535 Market Street, Suite 4100, Philadelphia, PA, USA
| | - Katrina Serrano
- Department of Psychiatry, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, 3535 Market Street, Suite 4100, Philadelphia, PA, USA
| | - Frank Leone
- Pulmonary, Allergy, & Critical Care Division, Presbyterian Medical Center, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA
| | - Robert Gross
- Division of Infectious Diseases, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA
- Center for Clinical Epidemiology and Biostatistics, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA
| | - Ronald G Collman
- Pulmonary, Allergy and Critical Care Division, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA
| | - Rebecca L Ashare
- Department of Psychiatry, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, 3535 Market Street, Suite 4100, Philadelphia, PA, USA.
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18
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Flannery JS, Riedel MC, Poudel R, Laird AR, Ross TJ, Salmeron BJ, Stein EA, Sutherland MT. Habenular and striatal activity during performance feedback are differentially linked with state-like and trait-like aspects of tobacco use disorder. Sci Adv 2019; 5:eaax2084. [PMID: 31633021 PMCID: PMC6785263 DOI: 10.1126/sciadv.aax2084] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/15/2019] [Accepted: 09/14/2019] [Indexed: 05/15/2023]
Abstract
The habenula, an epithalamic nucleus involved in reward and aversive processing, may contribute to negative reinforcement mechanisms maintaining nicotine use. We used a performance feedback task that differentially activates the striatum and habenula and administered nicotine and varenicline (versus placebos) to overnight-abstinent smokers and nonsmokers to delineate feedback-related functional brain alterations both as a function of smoking trait (smokers versus nonsmokers) and drug administration state (drug versus placebo). Smokers showed less striatal responsivity to positive feedback, an alteration not mitigated by drug administration, but rather correlated with trait-level addiction severity. Conversely, nicotine administration reduced habenula activity following both positive and negative feedback among abstinent smokers, but not nonsmokers, and increased habenula activity among smokers correlated with elevated state-level tobacco cravings. These outcomes highlight a dissociation between neurobiological processes linked with the dependence severity trait and the nicotine withdrawal state. Interventions simultaneously targeting both aspects may improve currently poor cessation outcomes.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Michael C. Riedel
- Department of Physics, Florida International University, Miami, FL, USA
| | - Ranjita Poudel
- Department of Psychology, Florida International University, Miami, FL, USA
| | - Angela R. Laird
- Department of Physics, Florida International University, Miami, FL, USA
| | - Thomas J. Ross
- Neuroimaging Research Branch, National Institute on Drug Abuse–Intramural Research Program, NIH/DHHS, Baltimore, MD, USA
| | - Betty Jo Salmeron
- Neuroimaging Research Branch, National Institute on Drug Abuse–Intramural Research Program, NIH/DHHS, Baltimore, MD, USA
| | - Elliot A. Stein
- Neuroimaging Research Branch, National Institute on Drug Abuse–Intramural Research Program, NIH/DHHS, Baltimore, MD, USA
| | - Matthew T. Sutherland
- Department of Psychology, Florida International University, Miami, FL, USA
- Corresponding author.
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Martin RA, Rohsenow DJ, Tidey JW. Smokers with opioid use disorder may have worse drug use outcomes after varenicline than nicotine replacement. J Subst Abuse Treat 2019; 104:22-27. [PMID: 31370981 PMCID: PMC6684327 DOI: 10.1016/j.jsat.2019.06.005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/06/2019] [Revised: 05/10/2019] [Accepted: 06/06/2019] [Indexed: 11/18/2022]
Abstract
INTRODUCTION Smokers with opioid use disorder (OUD) have little success with smoking cessation, possibly due to interactions between nicotine and opioid receptor systems. Smokers with OUD versus non-opioid substance use disorders (NOUD) have not been compared for response to smoking treatment. Data to make this comparison came from our previous study of 12 weeks (plus dose run-up) of varenicline (VAR) versus 12 weeks of nicotine patch (NRT), in a double-placebo design. METHODS The current study reports secondary analyses comparing smokers with OUD (n = 47) and NOUD (n = 90) on pretreatment smoking, alcohol and drug use, intolerance of physical discomfort, smoking medication adherence, and 3- and 6-month smoking and substance use outcomes (by VAR versus NRT). RESULTS Smokers with OUD did not differ on pretreatment alcohol or smoking measures while reporting significantly more drug use days. Smokers with OUD versus NOUD had significantly fewer days adherent to VAR or placebo capsules but not to patches, and were more tolerant of physical discomfort. While smoking and heavy drinking days at follow-ups did not differ by diagnosis, smokers with OUD had significantly more drug use days in months 4-6 when assigned to VAR (16.4 days) than to NRT (8.1 days). CONCLUSIONS NRT might be a better choice than VAR for smokers with OUD due to lower adherence and more drug use days with VAR. However, this novel comparison of smoking pharmacotherapy response in smokers with OUD versus NOUD needs to be confirmed with larger numbers of participants.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rosemarie A Martin
- Center for Alcohol and Addiction Studies, Brown University School of Public Health, Providence, RI 02912, USA
| | - Damaris J Rohsenow
- Center for Alcohol and Addiction Studies, Brown University School of Public Health, Providence, RI 02912, USA.
| | - Jennifer W Tidey
- Center for Alcohol and Addiction Studies, Brown University School of Public Health, Providence, RI 02912, USA
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Glatard A, Guidi M, Dobrinas M, Cornuz J, Csajka C, Eap CB. Influence of body weight and UGT2B7 polymorphism on varenicline exposure in a cohort of smokers from the general population. Eur J Clin Pharmacol 2019; 75:939-949. [PMID: 30868192 DOI: 10.1007/s00228-019-02662-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/24/2018] [Accepted: 03/06/2019] [Indexed: 12/25/2022]
Abstract
PURPOSE The abstinence rate to tobacco after varenicline treatment is moderate and might be partially affected by variability in varenicline concentrations. This study aimed at characterizing the sources of variability in varenicline pharmacokinetics and to relate varenicline exposure to abstinence. METHODS The population pharmacokinetic analysis (NONMEM®) included 121 varenicline concentrations from 82 individuals and tested the influence of genetic and non-genetic characteristics on apparent clearance (CL/F) and volume of distribution (V/F). Model-based average concentrations over 24 h (Cav) were used to test the impact of varenicline exposure on the input rate (Kin) expressed as a function of the number of cigarettes per day in a turnover model of 373 expired carbon monoxide levels. RESULTS A one-compartment model with first-order absorption and elimination appropriately described varenicline concentrations. CL/F was 8.5 L/h (coefficient of variation, 26%), V/F was 228 L, and the absorption rate (ka) was fixed to 0.98 h-1. CL/F increased by 46% in 100-kg individuals compared to 60-kg individuals and was found to be 21% higher in UGT2B7 rs7439366 TT individuals. These covariates explained 14% and 9% of the interindividual variability in CL/F, respectively. No influence of varenicline Cav was found on Kin in addition to the number of cigarettes. CONCLUSIONS Body weight mostly and to a smaller extent genetic polymorphisms of UGT2B7 can influence varenicline exposure. Dose adjustment based on body weight and, if available, on UGT2B7 genotype might be useful to improve clinical efficacy and tolerability of varenicline.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anaïs Glatard
- Unit of Pharmacogenetics and Clinical Psychopharmacology, Centre for Psychiatric Neuroscience, Department of Psychiatry, Lausanne University Hospital, Hospital of Cery, University of Lausanne, Prilly, Switzerland
- Service of Clinical Pharmacology, Department of Laboratories, Lausanne University Hospital, University of Lausanne, Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Monia Guidi
- Service of Clinical Pharmacology, Department of Laboratories, Lausanne University Hospital, University of Lausanne, Lausanne, Switzerland
- School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of Geneva, University of Lausanne, Geneva, Switzerland
| | - Maria Dobrinas
- Unit of Pharmacogenetics and Clinical Psychopharmacology, Centre for Psychiatric Neuroscience, Department of Psychiatry, Lausanne University Hospital, Hospital of Cery, University of Lausanne, Prilly, Switzerland
| | - Jacques Cornuz
- Department of Ambulatory Care and Community Medicine, University of Lausanne, Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Chantal Csajka
- Service of Clinical Pharmacology, Department of Laboratories, Lausanne University Hospital, University of Lausanne, Lausanne, Switzerland.
- School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of Geneva, University of Lausanne, Geneva, Switzerland.
| | - Chin B Eap
- Unit of Pharmacogenetics and Clinical Psychopharmacology, Centre for Psychiatric Neuroscience, Department of Psychiatry, Lausanne University Hospital, Hospital of Cery, University of Lausanne, Prilly, Switzerland.
- School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of Geneva, University of Lausanne, Geneva, Switzerland.
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Versace F, Stevens EM, Robinson JD, Cui Y, Deweese MM, Engelmann JM, Green CE, Karam-Hage M, Lam CY, Minnix JA, Wetter DW, Cinciripini PM. Brain Responses to Cigarette-Related and Emotional Images in Smokers During Smoking Cessation: No Effect of Varenicline or Bupropion on the Late Positive Potential. Nicotine Tob Res 2019; 21:234-240. [PMID: 29220524 PMCID: PMC6329398 DOI: 10.1093/ntr/ntx264] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/11/2017] [Accepted: 11/29/2017] [Indexed: 11/13/2022]
Abstract
Introduction Varenicline and bupropion are two effective smoking cessation pharmacotherapies. Researchers have hypothesized that they might be effective, in part, because they reduce cue reactivity and cue-induced cravings. Here, we used event-related potentials (ERPs) to directly measure brain responses to cigarette-related and other motivationally relevant images during a pharmacologically aided quit attempt. Methods Smokers involved in a 12-week placebo-controlled double-blind clinical trial of smoking cessation medications (varenicline, bupropion, placebo) took part in the study. We assessed participants at two time points: 24 h (n = 140) and 4 weeks (n = 176) after the quit date. At both sessions, we measured the amplitude of the late positive potential (LPP), an ERP component reliably associated with motivational relevance, and self-reported tonic craving using the brief version of the Questionnaire of Smoking Urges (QSU-Brief). Results At both sessions, emotional and cigarette-related images evoked significantly larger LPPs than neutral images. Neither drug type nor smoking abstinence altered this effect at either session. At both sessions, varenicline and bupropion significantly reduced self-reported tonic craving relative to the placebo condition. Conclusions While both varenicline and bupropion reduced self-reported tonic craving, neither medication altered the amplitude of the LPP to cigarette-related or emotional pictures in smokers attempting to quit. These medications may influence abstinence by means other than by reducing neuroaffective responses to cigarette-related cues. Smokers should be prepared for the likelihood that even after several weeks of successful abstinence, once treatment ends, cigarette-related cues may remain motivationally relevant and trigger cravings that might lead to relapse. Implications Bupropion and varenicline do not alter electrophysiological responses, as measured by the LPP, to cigarette-related and emotional images. These findings help explain why cigarette-related cues can trigger relapse when smoking cessation medication treatments end.
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Affiliation(s)
- Francesco Versace
- Department of Behavioral Science, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX
| | - Elise M Stevens
- Oklahoma Tobacco Research Center, Stephenson Cancer Center, The University of Oklahoma Health Sciences Center, Oklahoma City, OK
| | - Jason D Robinson
- Department of Behavioral Science, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX
| | - Yong Cui
- Department of Behavioral Science, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX
| | - Menton M Deweese
- Department of Behavioral Science, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX
| | - Jeffrey M Engelmann
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Medicine, Medical College of Wisconsin, Milwaukee, WI
| | - Charles E Green
- Department of Pediatrics, The University of Texas-Houston Medical School, Houston, TX
| | - Maher Karam-Hage
- Department of Behavioral Science, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX
| | - Cho Y Lam
- Department of Population Health Sciences, Huntsman Cancer Institute, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, UT
| | - Jennifer A Minnix
- Department of Behavioral Science, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX
| | - David W Wetter
- Department of Population Health Sciences, Huntsman Cancer Institute, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, UT
| | - Paul M Cinciripini
- Department of Behavioral Science, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX
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Abstract
Acute tolerance to effects of nicotine plays an important role in nicotine dependence, but the mechanism underlying these effects is unclear. Drug discrimination was used in the current study to examine the impact of nicotine pretreatment on sensitivity to the discriminative stimulus effects of nicotine and the FDA-approved smoking cessation pharmacotherapy varenicline. Rhesus monkeys (n = 4) discriminated 0.032 mg/kg nicotine base iv from saline under an FR5 schedule of stimulus-shock termination. Both nicotine and varenicline increased drug-appropriate responding; ED50 values (95% confidence limits) were 0.0087 [0.0025, 0.030] and 0.028 [0.0096, 0.082] mg/kg, respectively. Additional pretreatment injections of the training dose of nicotine (0.032 mg/kg, iv) produced tolerance to its discriminative stimulus effects and the magnitude of this effect was related to the number of pretreatment injections administered. Two pretreatment injections of the training dose of nicotine (0.032 mg/kg, iv) produced a 5.4-fold rightward shift in the nicotine dose-response function and a sevenfold rightward shift in the varenicline dose-response function. The duration of tolerance under these conditions was less than 60 min. These results demonstrate that tolerance to the discriminative stimulus effects of nicotine can be produced by acute nicotine exposure. Acute cross-tolerance from nicotine to varenicline is consistent with similar actions at nAChRs, and suggests that conditions resulting in acute nicotine tolerance could impact sensitivity to other nAChR agonists. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2018 APA, all rights reserved).
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23
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Lim AC, Roche DJO, Ray LA. Distress Tolerance and Craving for Cigarettes Among Heavy Drinking Smokers. J Stud Alcohol Drugs 2018; 79:918-928. [PMID: 30573023 PMCID: PMC6308171 DOI: 10.15288/jsad.2018.79.918] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/15/2017] [Accepted: 07/23/2018] [Indexed: 09/27/2023] Open
Abstract
OBJECTIVE Heavy drinking smokers experience significant difficulties with smoking cessation. Craving is closely tied to relapses during cessation attempts, and alcohol consumption increases cigarette craving among heavy drinking smokers. To date, however, few moderators of the relationship between craving and relapse have been identified. Individuals' capacity for distress tolerance predicts smoking cessation outcomes and may be connected to craving. Relatedly, pharmacotherapies like varenicline and naltrexone reduce cigarette and alcohol cravings, respectively. No studies have examined the interrelationships among distress tolerance, craving, and pharmacotherapy effects. This study therefore examines distress tolerance as a moderator of the relationship between overnight abstinence-induced cigarette craving and subsequent alcohol- and cigarette-induced changes in craving among heavy drinking smokers. This study also examines the impact of varenicline and naltrexone on these relationships. METHOD A total of 120 non-treatment-seeking heavy drinking smokers were randomized and titrated to one of the following conditions: (a) placebo, (b) varenicline, (c) naltrexone, or (d) varenicline + naltrexone. Participants then completed a laboratory paradigm after overnight abstinence that included consumption of alcohol (target .06 g/dl breath alcohol concentration) and one cigarette. Craving was assessed as abstinence-induced (Time 1), alcohol-induced (Time 2), and cigarette-induced (Time 3). RESULTS Within varenicline + naltrexone, low distress tolerance individuals exhibited higher increases from abstinence- to alcohol-induced cigarette craving relative to high distress tolerance individuals. Across medications, low distress tolerance individuals reported flatter decreases from abstinence- to cigarette-induced cigarette craving relative to high distress tolerance individuals. CONCLUSIONS Distress tolerance may differentially predict alcohol-induced cigarette craving when titrated to pharmacotherapy, as well as moderate decreases in craving after cigarette consumption. Future exploration of the identified interactive effects could elucidate specific conditions in which cravings are more proximally related to abstinence-induced smoking.
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Affiliation(s)
- Aaron C Lim
- Department of Psychology, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, California
| | - Daniel J O Roche
- Department of Psychology, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, California
| | - Lara A Ray
- Department of Psychology, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, California
- Department of Psychiatry and Biobehavioral Sciences, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, California
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Barrett ST, Geary TN, Steiner AN, Bevins RA. A behavioral economic analysis of the value-enhancing effects of nicotine and varenicline and the role of nicotinic acetylcholine receptors in male and female rats. Behav Pharmacol 2018; 29:493-502. [PMID: 29634495 PMCID: PMC6076340 DOI: 10.1097/fbp.0000000000000404] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/25/2022]
Abstract
Reinforcement value enhancement by nicotine of non-nicotine rewards is believed to partially motivate smoking behavior. Recently, we showed that the value-enhancing effects of nicotine are well characterized by reinforcer demand models and that the value-enhancing effects of the smoking-cessation aid bupropion (Zyban) are distinct from those of nicotine and differ between the sexes. The present study evaluated potential sex differences in the enhancement effects of nicotine and varenicline (Chantix) using a reinforcer demand methodology. The role of α4β2* and α7 nicotinic acetylcholine receptors (nAChRs) in the enhancing effects of nicotine and varenicline is also evaluated. Male and female rats (n=12/sex) were trained to lever press maintained by sensory reinforcement by visual stimulus (VS) presentations. Changes in the VS value following nicotine and varenicline administration were assessed using an established reinforcer demand approach. Subsequently, the effects of antagonism of α4β2* and α7 nAChRs on varenicline and nicotine-induced enhancement active lever-pressing were assessed using a progressive ratio schedule. Nicotine and varenicline enhanced VS demand equivalently between the sexes as evaluated by reinforcer demand. However, α4β2* receptor antagonism attenuated value enhancement by nicotine and varenicline in females, but only of nicotine in males.
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Affiliation(s)
- Scott T Barrett
- Department of Psychology, University of Nebraska, Lincoln, Nebraska, USA
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Sharma AK, Gupta S, Patel RK, Wardhan N. Haloperidol-induced parkinsonism is attenuated by varenicline in mice. J Basic Clin Physiol Pharmacol 2018; 29:395-401. [PMID: 29634484 DOI: 10.1515/jbcpp-2017-0107] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/19/2017] [Accepted: 01/22/2018] [Indexed: 05/28/2023]
Abstract
Background Parkinson's disease (PD) is a neurodegenerative disorder of the central nervous system (CNS). However, there is no known drug to stop/slow down this neurodegeneration. Varenicline is an anti-smoking drug and has the potential to prevent neurodegeneration. Thus, the present study was designed to evaluate the effect of varenicline in animal models of PD. Methods Levodopa and haloperidol were administered in doses of 30 and 1 mg/kg, intraperitoneally (i.p.), respectively. Group 1 was administered haloperidol; groups 2, 3 and 4 were administered haloperidol along with varenicline in doses of 0.5, 1.5 and 2.5 mg/kg, i.p., respectively and group 5 was administered levodopa along with haloperidol. Varenicline was administered daily, 30 min prior to the administration of haloperidol. Varenicline was administered for the first 8 days, and then from the 9th day until the 15th day. Behavioral assessment (rotarod and catalepsy tests) was performed on days 9 and 15. Assessment of striatal dopamine levels and histopathology were also performed. Results In the haloperidol-treated groups, significant decrease in latency to fall off (on rotarod) and increase in catalepsy duration (in catalepsy test) were observed as compared to the control group. In the levodopa-treated group, significant increase in latency to fall off the rotarod and significant decrease in catalepsy duration were observed as compared to the haloperidol-treated groups. Further, on day 9, varenicline (2.5 mg/kg) significantly increased the latency to fall off the rotarod, while varenicline (0.5 and 1.5 mg/kg) did not cause any significant change in latency to fall off the rotarod as compared to the haloperidol-treated group. On day 15, significant increase in latency to fall off the rotarod was observed in varenicline (at all doses) as compared to the haloperidol-treated group. In the catalepsy test, the varenicline-treated (at all doses) groups showed significant decrease in duration of catalepsy on day 9 and day 15 as compared to the haloperidol-treated group. Significant decrease in striatal dopamine levels was observed among the haloperidol-treated groups as compared to the control group. Further, varenicline-treated (at all doses) and levodopa-treated groups showed significant increase in striatal dopamine levels when compared with the haloperidol-treated group. In histology, varenicline (0.5 mg/kg) showed moderate decrease in neurons, while varenicline (1.5 and 2.5 mg/kg) showed mild decrease in neurons. However, the levodopa-treated group did not show any significant decrease in neurons. Thus, varenicline has shown promising results and has provided novel strategy for the treatment of PD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Amit K Sharma
- Department of Pharmacology, Vardhman Mahavir Medical College and Safdarjung Hospital, New Delhi 110029, India
| | - Sparsh Gupta
- Department of Pharmacology, Vardhman Mahavir Medical College and Safdarjung Hospital, New Delhi 110029, India
| | - Ranjan K Patel
- Department of Pharmacology, University College of Medical Sciences and G. T. B. Hospital, New Delhi 110095, India
| | - Neeta Wardhan
- Department of Pharmacology, University College of Medical Sciences and G. T. B. Hospital, New Delhi 110095, India
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Koga M, Kanaoka Y, Tashiro T, Hashidume N, Kataoka Y, Yamauchi A. Varenicline is a smoking cessation drug that blocks alveolar expansion in mice intratracheally administrated porcine pancreatic elastase. J Pharmacol Sci 2018; 137:224-229. [PMID: 30042025 DOI: 10.1016/j.jphs.2018.06.007] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/26/2018] [Revised: 05/01/2018] [Accepted: 05/22/2018] [Indexed: 01/07/2023] Open
Abstract
Smoking cessation is the most effective treatment in patients with emphysema and lung inflammation. The aim of the present study was to examine the effect of varenicline, a smoking cessation drug, on emphysema in porcine pancreatic elastase (PPE)-inhaled mice. PPE-inhaled mice were treated with varenicline and an α7 nicotinic acetylcholine receptor (nAChR) antagonist, methyllycaconitine (MLA) for 5 and 21 days. Varenicline markedly ameliorated alveolar expansion and inflammatory response in bronchoalveolar lavage fluid in PPE-inhaled mice. These blocking effects were inhibited by MLA. Our findings demonstrate that varenicline likely has an anti-inflammatory property including reduced inflammatory cell recruitment in lung tissue to protect PPE-induced alveolar expansion via α7 nAChR.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mitsuhisa Koga
- Department of Pharmaceutical Care and Health Sciences, Faculty of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Fukuoka University, Fukuoka, 814-0180, Japan
| | - Yuki Kanaoka
- Department of Pharmaceutical Care and Health Sciences, Faculty of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Fukuoka University, Fukuoka, 814-0180, Japan
| | - Tetsushi Tashiro
- Department of Pharmaceutical Care and Health Sciences, Faculty of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Fukuoka University, Fukuoka, 814-0180, Japan
| | - Nagisa Hashidume
- Department of Pharmaceutical Care and Health Sciences, Faculty of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Fukuoka University, Fukuoka, 814-0180, Japan
| | - Yasufumi Kataoka
- Department of Pharmaceutical Care and Health Sciences, Faculty of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Fukuoka University, Fukuoka, 814-0180, Japan
| | - Atsushi Yamauchi
- Department of Pharmaceutical Care and Health Sciences, Faculty of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Fukuoka University, Fukuoka, 814-0180, Japan.
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Maggio SE, Saunders MA, Baxter TA, Nixon K, Prendergast MA, Zheng G, Crooks P, Dwoskin LP, Slack RD, Newman AH, Bell RL, Bardo MT. Effects of the nicotinic agonist varenicline, nicotinic antagonist r-bPiDI, and DAT inhibitor (R)-modafinil on co-use of ethanol and nicotine in female P rats. Psychopharmacology (Berl) 2018; 235:1439-1453. [PMID: 29455292 PMCID: PMC6058964 DOI: 10.1007/s00213-018-4853-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/23/2017] [Accepted: 02/06/2018] [Indexed: 12/26/2022]
Abstract
RATIONALE Co-users of alcohol and nicotine are the largest group of polysubstance users worldwide. Commonalities in mechanisms of action for ethanol (EtOH) and nicotine proposes the possibility of developing a single pharmacotherapeutic to treat co-use. OBJECTIVES Toward developing a preclinical model of co-use, female alcohol-preferring (P) rats were trained for voluntary EtOH drinking and i.v. nicotine self-administration in three phases: (1) EtOH alone (0 vs. 15%, two-bottle choice), (2) nicotine alone (0.03 mg/kg/infusion, active vs. inactive lever), and (3) concurrent access to both EtOH and nicotine. Using this model, we examined the effects of (1) varenicline, a nicotinic acetylcholine receptor (nAChR) partial agonist with high affinity for the α4β2* subtype; (2) r-bPiDI, a subtype-selective antagonist at α6β2* nAChRs; and (3) (R)-modafinil, an atypical inhibitor of the dopamine transporter (DAT). RESULTS In phases 1 and 2, pharmacologically relevant intake of EtOH and nicotine was achieved. In the concurrent access phase (phase 3), EtOH consumption decreased while nicotine intake increased relative to phases 1 and 2. For drug pretreatments, in the EtOH access phase (phase 1), (R)-modafinil (100 mg/kg) decreased EtOH consumption, with no effect on water consumption. In the concurrent access phase, varenicline (3 mg/kg), r-bPiDI (20 mg/kg), and (R)-modafinil (100 mg/kg) decreased nicotine self-administration but did not alter EtOH consumption, water consumption, or inactive lever pressing. CONCLUSIONS These results indicate that therapeutics which may be useful for smoking cessation via selective inhibition of α4β2* or α6β2* nAChRs, or DAT inhibition, may not be sufficient to treat EtOH and nicotine co-use.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sarah E Maggio
- Department of Psychology, University of Kentucky, Lexington, KY, 40536, USA
| | | | - Thomas A Baxter
- Department of Psychology, University of Kentucky, Lexington, KY, 40536, USA
| | - Kimberly Nixon
- Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, College of Pharmacy, University of Kentucky, Lexington, KY, 40536, USA
| | - Mark A Prendergast
- Department of Psychology, University of Kentucky, Lexington, KY, 40536, USA
| | - Guangrong Zheng
- Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, College of Pharmacy, University of Arkansas, Little Rock, AR, 72205, USA
| | - Peter Crooks
- Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, College of Pharmacy, University of Arkansas, Little Rock, AR, 72205, USA
| | - Linda P Dwoskin
- Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, College of Pharmacy, University of Kentucky, Lexington, KY, 40536, USA
| | - Rachel D Slack
- Molecular Targets and Medications Discovery Branch, National Institute on Drug Abuse-Intramural Research Program, National Institutes of Health, Baltimore, MD, 21224, USA
| | - Amy H Newman
- Molecular Targets and Medications Discovery Branch, National Institute on Drug Abuse-Intramural Research Program, National Institutes of Health, Baltimore, MD, 21224, USA
| | - Richard L Bell
- Department of Psychiatry, Institute of Psychiatric Research, Indiana University School of Medicine, Indianapolis, IN, 46202, USA
| | - Michael T Bardo
- Department of Psychology, University of Kentucky, Lexington, KY, 40536, USA.
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Abstract
Varenicline reduces drinking in people with alcohol use disorder, but little is known about the mechanisms underlying this effect. Varenicline targets α4β2 and α7 nicotinic acetylcholine receptors, which are associated with several cognitive functions such as working memory. Varenicline may improve drinking outcomes by enhancing cognitive functioning. The current manuscript reports on cognitive outcomes from a placebo-controlled, double-blind human laboratory experiment examining the effects of varenicline on drinking behavior (Verplaetse et al., 2016a). Participants were 55 adult heavy drinkers who met criteria for an alcohol use disorder. They were randomized to receive varenicline (1 mg/day, 2 mg/day) or placebo. They completed a baseline assessment of cognitive functioning (i.e., digits backward task, continuous performance task) before starting medication. After a medication titration period, they attended a laboratory session (post medication Day 8) where they completed the cognitive assessment battery and an alcohol-primed ad libitum drinking task. Blood was collected to measure plasma varenicline levels. Varenicline produced dose-dependent improvements in working memory. Although there was no significant effect of oral varenicline dose on response time on the continuous performance task, participants with higher levels of plasma varenicline showed greater improvement of reaction time (RT). Among participants receiving 2 mg/day varenicline, larger improvements in working memory were associated less drinking, although mediation analyses did not find a significant indirect effect. These findings suggest that varenicline can improve working memory above baseline levels in heavy drinkers. Varenicline may reduce rates of alcohol use by improving working memory. (PsycINFO Database Record
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Affiliation(s)
- Walter Roberts
- Yale School of Medicine, Department of Psychiatry, New Haven CT
- Corresponding author: Telephone: (203) 737-3529, Fax: (203) 737-4243, address: 2 Church St. South, Suite 109, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, CT 06519, , ORCID ID: 0000-0001-6817-884X
| | - Sherry A. McKee
- Yale School of Medicine, Department of Psychiatry, New Haven CT
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29
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Cui Y, Engelmann JM, Xian J, Minnix JA, Lam CY, Karam-Hage M, Cinciripini PM, Robinson JD. Pharmacological intervention and abstinence in smokers undergoing cessation treatment: A psychophysiological study. Int J Psychophysiol 2018; 123:25-34. [PMID: 29223599 PMCID: PMC5759327 DOI: 10.1016/j.ijpsycho.2017.12.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/29/2016] [Revised: 10/09/2017] [Accepted: 12/01/2017] [Indexed: 01/22/2023]
Abstract
As a composite concept, negative affect comprises various aversive emotional experiences, such as irritability and nervousness. It is a critical motivational factor that helps maintain smoking behavior, and contributes significantly to smoking cessation failure as a core withdrawal symptom. Prior research has indicated an important role of nicotinic mechanisms in negative affect processing. The most effective smoking cessation medication, varenicline, targets nicotinic acetylcholine receptors (nAChRs) as a partial agonist, while another first-line cessation medication, bupropion, has shown antagonistic effects on nAChRs. Therefore, it is possible that both medications work to reduce smoking behavior through modulating negative affect processing. To evaluate this hypothesis, we examined the impact of varenicline tartrate and bupropion hydrochloride sustained-release on electrophysiological responses to affective, cigarette-related, and neutral cues before and during smoking cessation treatment in a randomized placebo-controlled clinical trial. The participants were 206 smokers, a subset of 294 participants that were enrolled in a larger smoking cessation clinical trial who were randomly assigned to one medication group for 12weeks. Orbicularis oculi (startle eyeblink response) and corrugator supercilii facial electromyographic (EMG) reactivity toward emotional pictures (i.e., pleasant and unpleasant) in a picture-viewing task were measured before treatment and 2 and 6weeks after treatment was started. The startle and corrugator EMG activities increase with the exposure to unpleasant cues, and served as indices for negative emotional reactivity (NER). We found that after 6weeks, drug reduced startle-related NER in the varenicline group, but not in the bupropion or placebo group. Independent of medication treatment, lower baseline NER, as measured by the corrugator EMG activity, predicted a higher likelihood of smoking abstinence 1 and 3months after quitting smoking. These findings indicate the important roles of varenicline in negative affect processing and negative emotional reactivity in the course of smoking cessation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yong Cui
- Department of Behavioral Science, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX, United States
| | - Jeffrey M Engelmann
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Medicine, Medial College of Wisconsin, Milwaukee, WI, United States
| | - Jonathan Xian
- Texas A&M Health Science Center College of Medicine, United States
| | - Jennifer A Minnix
- Department of Behavioral Science, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX, United States
| | - Cho Y Lam
- Department of Population Health Sciences, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, UT, United States
| | - Maher Karam-Hage
- Department of Behavioral Science, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX, United States
| | - Paul M Cinciripini
- Department of Behavioral Science, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX, United States
| | - Jason D Robinson
- Department of Behavioral Science, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX, United States.
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de Moura FB, McMahon LR. The contribution of α4β2 and non-α4β2 nicotinic acetylcholine receptors to the discriminative stimulus effects of nicotine and varenicline in mice. Psychopharmacology (Berl) 2017; 234:781-792. [PMID: 28028600 PMCID: PMC5309148 DOI: 10.1007/s00213-016-4514-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/23/2016] [Accepted: 12/16/2016] [Indexed: 10/20/2022]
Abstract
RATIONALE The extent to which non-α4β2 versus α4β2* nAChRs contribute to the behavioral effects of varenicline and other nAChR agonists is unclear. OBJECTIVES The purpose of this study was to characterize the discriminative stimulus effects of varenicline and nicotine using various nAChR agonists and antagonists to elucidate possible non-α4β2 nAChR mechanisms. METHODS Separate groups of male C57BL/6J mice were trained to discriminate varenicline (3.2 mg/kg) or nicotine (1 mg/kg). Test drugs included mecamylamine; the nAChR agonists epibatidine, nicotine, cytisine, varenicline, and RTI-102; the β2-containing nAChR antagonist dihydro-β-erythroidine (DHβE); the α7 nAChR agonist PNU-282987; the α7 antagonist methyllycaconitine (MLA); the α3β4 antagonist 18-methoxycoronaridine (18-MC); and the non-nAChR drugs midazolam and cocaine. RESULTS In nicotine-trained mice, maximum nicotine-appropriate responding was 95% nicotine, 94% epibatidine, 63% varenicline, 58% cytisine, and less than 50% for RTI-102, PNU-282987, midazolam, and cocaine. In varenicline-trained mice, maximum varenicline-appropriate responding was 90% varenicline, 86% epibatidine, 74% cytisine, 80% RTI-102, 50% cocaine, and 50% or less for nicotine, PNU-282987, and midazolam. Drugs were studied to doses that abolished operant responding. Mecamylamine antagonized the discriminative stimulus effects, but not the rate-decreasing effects, of nicotine and varenicline. DHβE antagonized the discriminative stimulus and rate-decreasing effects of nicotine but not varenicline in either the nicotine or varenicline discrimination assays. The discriminative stimulus, but not the rate-decreasing, effects of epibatidine were antagonized by DHβE regardless of the training drug. CONCLUSIONS These results suggest that α4β2* nAChRs differentially mediate the discriminative stimulus effects of nicotine and varenicline, and suggest that varenicline has substantial non-α4β2 nAChR activity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Fernando B de Moura
- Department of Pharmacology, The University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio, 7703 Floyd Curl Drive, San Antonio, TX, 78229-3900, USA
| | - Lance R McMahon
- Department of Pharmacology, The University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio, 7703 Floyd Curl Drive, San Antonio, TX, 78229-3900, USA.
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Cunningham CS, Moerke MJ, Javors MA, Carroll FI, McMahon LR. Attenuated nicotine-like effects of varenicline but not other nicotinic ACh receptor agonists in monkeys receiving nicotine daily. Br J Pharmacol 2016; 173:3454-3466. [PMID: 27667659 PMCID: PMC5120155 DOI: 10.1111/bph.13635] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/12/2016] [Revised: 09/13/2016] [Accepted: 09/18/2016] [Indexed: 01/23/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE Chronic treatment can differentially impact the effects of pharmacologically related drugs that differ in receptor selectivity and efficacy. EXPERIMENTAL APPROACH The impact of daily nicotine treatment on the effects of nicotinic ACh receptor (nAChR) agonists was examined in two groups of rhesus monkeys discriminating nicotine (1.78 mg·kg-1 base weight) from saline. One group received additional nicotine treatment post-session (1.78 mg·kg-1 administered five times daily, each dose 2 h apart; i.e. Daily group), and the second group did not (Intermittent group). KEY RESULTS Daily repeated nicotine treatment produced a time-related increase in saliva cotinine. There was no significant difference in the ED50 values of the nicotine discriminative stimulus between the Daily and Intermittent group. Mecamylamine antagonized the effects of nicotine, whereas dihydro-β-erythroidine did not. Midazolam produced 0% nicotine-lever responding. The nAChR agonists epibatidine, RTI-36, cytisine and varenicline produced >96% nicotine-lever responding in the Intermittent group. The respective maximum effects in the Daily group were 100, 72, 59 and 28%, which shows that the ability of varenicline to produce nicotine-like responding was selectively decreased in the Daily as compared with the Intermittent group. When combined with nicotine, both varenicline and cytisine increased the potency of nicotine to produce discriminative stimulus effects. CONCLUSION AND IMPLICATIONS Nicotine treatment has a greater impact on the sensitivity to the effects of varenicline as compared with some other nAChR agonists. Collectively, these results strongly suggest that varenicline differs from nicotine in its selectivity for multiple nAChR subtypes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Colin S Cunningham
- Department of Pharmacology, The University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio, San Antonio, TX, USA
| | - Megan J Moerke
- Department of Pharmacology, The University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio, San Antonio, TX, USA
| | - Martin A Javors
- Department of Psychiatry, The University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio, San Antonio, TX, USA
| | - F Ivy Carroll
- Center for Organic and Medicinal Chemistry, Research Triangle Institute, Research Triangle Park, NC, USA
| | - Lance R McMahon
- Department of Pharmacology, The University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio, San Antonio, TX, USA
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Abstract
Tobacco smoke contains a large number of compounds in the form of metals, volatile gases and insoluble particles, as well as nicotine, a highly addictive alkaloid. Marijuana is the most widely used illicit drug of abuse in the world, with a significant increase in the USA due to the increasing number of states that allow medical and recreational use. Of the over 70 phytocannabinoids in marijuana, Δ9-tetrahydrocannabinol (Δ9THC), cannabidiol (CBD) and cannibinol are the three main constituents. Both marijuana and tobacco smoking induce cytochrome P450 (CYP) 1A2 through activation of the aromatic hydrocarbon receptor, and the induction effect between the two products is additive. Smoking cessation is associated with rapid downregulation of CYP1A enzymes. On the basis of the estimated half-life of CYP1A2, dose reduction of CYP1A drugs may be necessary as early as the first few days after smoking cessation to prevent toxicity, especially for drugs with a narrow therapeutic index. Nicotine is a substrate of CYP2A6, which is induced by oestrogen, resulting in lower concentrations of nicotine in females than in males, especially in females taking oral contraceptives. The significant effects of CYP3A4 inducers and inhibitors on the pharmacokinetics of Δ9THC/CBD oromucosal spray suggest that CYP3A4 is the primary enzyme responsible for the metabolism of Δ9THC and CBD. Limited data also suggest that CBD may significantly inhibit CYP2C19. With the increasing use of marijuana and cannabis products, clinical studies are needed in order to determine the effects of other drugs on pharmacokinetics and pharmacodynamics.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gail D Anderson
- Department of Pharmacy, Box 357630, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, 98195, USA.
| | - Lingtak-Neander Chan
- Department of Pharmacy, Box 357630, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, 98195, USA
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Smith RC, Amiaz R, Si TM, Maayan L, Jin H, Boules S, Sershen H, Li C, Ren J, Liu Y, Youseff M, Lajtha A, Guidotti A, Weiser M, Davis JM. Varenicline Effects on Smoking, Cognition, and Psychiatric Symptoms in Schizophrenia: A Double-Blind Randomized Trial. PLoS One 2016; 11:e0143490. [PMID: 26730716 PMCID: PMC4701439 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0143490] [Citation(s) in RCA: 46] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/08/2015] [Accepted: 11/05/2015] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
UNLABELLED Schizophrenic patients have a high rate of smoking and cognitive deficits which may be related to a decreased number or responsiveness of nicotinic receptors in their brains. Varenicline is a partial nicotinic agonist which is effective as an antismoking drug in cigarette smokers, although concerns have been raised about potential psychiatric side-effects. We conducted a double-blind placebo controlled study in 87 schizophrenic smokers to evaluate the effects of varenicline (2 mg/day) on measures of smoking, cognition, psychiatric symptoms, and side-effects in schizophrenic patients who were cigarette smokers. Varenicline significantly decreased cotinine levels (P<0.001), and other objective and subjective measures of smoking (P < .01), and responses on a smoking urges scale (P = .02), more than placebo. Varenicline did not improve scores on a cognitive battery designed to test the effect of drugs on cognitive performance in schizophrenia (the MATRICS battery), either in overall MATRICS battery Composite or individual Domain scores, more than placebo. There were no significant differences between varenicline vs. placebo effects on total symptom scores on psychiatric rating scales, PANSS, SANS, or Calgary Depression scales, and there were no significant drug effects in any of these scales sub-scores when we used Benjamin-Hochberg corrected significance levels (α = .05). Varenicline patients did not show greater side-effects than placebo treated patients at any time point when controlled for baseline side-effect scores. Our study supports the use of varenicline as a safe drug for smoking reduction in schizophrenia but not as a cognitive enhancer. TRIAL REGISTRATION ClinicalTrials.gov 00802919.
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Affiliation(s)
- Robert C. Smith
- Nathan S. Kline Institute for Psychiatric Research, Orangeburg, New York, United States of America
- NYU Langone Medical Center, Department of Psychiatry, New York, New York, United States of America
| | - Revital Amiaz
- Chaim Sheba Medical Center, Ramat-Gan, Israel
- Sackler School of Medicine, Tel Aviv, Israel
| | - Tian-Mei Si
- Peking University Institute of Mental Health, The Key Laboratory for Mental Health, Ministry of Health, Beijing, China
| | - Lawrence Maayan
- Albany Medical Center, Albany, New York, United States of America
| | - Hua Jin
- University of California San Diego, Department of Psychiatry, San Diego, California, United States of America
- VA San Diego Healthcare System, San Diego, California, United States of America
| | - Sylvia Boules
- Nathan S. Kline Institute for Psychiatric Research, Orangeburg, New York, United States of America
| | - Henry Sershen
- Nathan S. Kline Institute for Psychiatric Research, Orangeburg, New York, United States of America
- NYU Langone Medical Center, Department of Psychiatry, New York, New York, United States of America
| | - Chunbo Li
- Shanghai Key Laboratory of Psychotic Disorders, Shanghai Mental Health Center, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, China
| | - Juanjuan Ren
- Shanghai Key Laboratory of Psychotic Disorders, Shanghai Mental Health Center, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, China
| | - Yanhong Liu
- Peking University Institute of Mental Health, The Key Laboratory for Mental Health, Ministry of Health, Beijing, China
| | - Mary Youseff
- Nathan S. Kline Institute for Psychiatric Research, Orangeburg, New York, United States of America
| | - Abel Lajtha
- Nathan S. Kline Institute for Psychiatric Research, Orangeburg, New York, United States of America
- NYU Langone Medical Center, Department of Psychiatry, New York, New York, United States of America
| | - Alessandro Guidotti
- Psychiatric Institute University of Illinois, Chicago, Illinois, United States of America
| | - Mark Weiser
- Chaim Sheba Medical Center, Ramat-Gan, Israel
- Sackler School of Medicine, Tel Aviv, Israel
| | - John M. Davis
- Psychiatric Institute University of Illinois, Chicago, Illinois, United States of America
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Marks MJ, O'Neill HC, Wynalda-Camozzi KM, Ortiz NC, Simmons EE, Short CA, Butt CM, McIntosh JM, Grady SR. Chronic treatment with varenicline changes expression of four nAChR binding sites in mice. Neuropharmacology 2015; 99:142-55. [PMID: 26192545 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuropharm.2015.07.019] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/13/2014] [Revised: 07/09/2015] [Accepted: 07/16/2015] [Indexed: 11/18/2022]
Abstract
INTRODUCTION Chronic treatment with nicotine is known to increase the α4β2-nAChR sites in brain, to decrease α6β2-nAChR sites and to have minimal effect on α3β4-and α7-nAChR populations. Varenicline is now used as a smoking cessation treatment, with and without continued smoking or nicotine replacement therapy. Varenicline, like nicotine, upregulates the α4β2-nAChR sites; however, it is not known whether varenicline treatment changes expression of the other nAChR subtypes. METHODS Using a mouse model, chronic treatments (10 days) with varenicline (0.12 mg/kg/h) and/or nicotine (1 mg/kg/hr), alone or in combination, were compared for plasma and brain levels of drugs, tolerance to subsequent acute nicotine and expression of four subtypes of nAChR using autoradiography. RESULTS The upregulation of α4β2-nAChR sites elicited by chronic varenicline was very similar to that elicited by chronic nicotine. Treatment with both drugs somewhat increased up-regulation, indicating that these doses were not quite at maximum effect. Similar down-regulation was seen for α6β2-nAChR sites. Varenicline significantly increased both α3β4-and α7-nAChR sites while nicotine had less effect on these sites. The drug combination was similar to varenicline alone for α3β4-nAChR sites, while for α7 sites the drug combination was less effective than varenicline alone. Varenicline had small but significant effects on tolerance to acute nicotine. CONCLUSIONS Effects of varenicline in vivo may not be limited to the α4β2*-nAChR subtype. In addition, smoking cessation treatment with varenicline may not allow receptor numbers to be restored to baseline and may, in addition, change expression of other receptor subtypes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Michael J Marks
- Institute for Behavioral Genetics, University of Colorado, Boulder, CO, USA; Department of Psychology and Neuroscience, University of Colorado, Boulder, CO, USA.
| | - Heidi C O'Neill
- Institute for Behavioral Genetics, University of Colorado, Boulder, CO, USA.
| | | | - Nick C Ortiz
- Institute for Behavioral Genetics, University of Colorado, Boulder, CO, USA.
| | - Emily E Simmons
- Institute for Behavioral Genetics, University of Colorado, Boulder, CO, USA.
| | - Caitlin A Short
- Institute for Behavioral Genetics, University of Colorado, Boulder, CO, USA.
| | | | - J Michael McIntosh
- Departments of Biology and Psychiatry, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, UT, USA.
| | - Sharon R Grady
- Institute for Behavioral Genetics, University of Colorado, Boulder, CO, USA.
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Abstract
Cys-loop receptors are the site of action of many therapeutic drugs. One of these is the smoking cessation agent varenicline, which has its major therapeutic effects at nicotinic acetylcholine (nACh) receptors but also acts at 5-HT3 receptors. Here, we report the X-ray crystal structure of the 5-HT binding protein (5-HTBP) in complex with varenicline, and test the predicted interactions by probing the potency of varenicline in a range of mutant 5-HT3 receptors expressed in HEK293 cells and Xenopus oocytes. The structure reveals a range of interactions between varenicline and 5-HTBP. We identified residues within 5 Å of varenicline and substituted the equivalent residues in the 5-HT3 receptor with Ala or a residue with similar chemical properties. Functional characterization of these mutant 5-HT3 receptors, using a fluorescent membrane potential dye in HEK cells and voltage clamp in oocytes, supports interactions between varenicline and the receptor that are similar to those in 5-HTBP. The structure also revealed C-loop closure that was less than in the 5-HT-bound 5-HTBP, and hydrogen bonding between varenicline and the complementary face of the binding pocket via a water molecule, which are characteristics consistent with partial agonist behavior of varenicline in the 5-HT3 receptor. Together, these data reveal detailed insights into the molecular interaction of varenicline in the 5-HT3 receptor.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kerry L Price
- †Department of Biochemistry, University of Cambridge, Tennis Court Road, Cambridge CB2 1QW, United Kingdom
| | - Reidun K Lillestol
- †Department of Biochemistry, University of Cambridge, Tennis Court Road, Cambridge CB2 1QW, United Kingdom
| | - Chris Ulens
- ‡The Laboratory of Structural Neurobiology, Department of Cellular and Molecular Medicine, KU Leuven, Herestraat 49, PB 601, B-3000 Leuven, Belgium
| | - Sarah C R Lummis
- †Department of Biochemistry, University of Cambridge, Tennis Court Road, Cambridge CB2 1QW, United Kingdom
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Ley CKK, Kuryatov A, Wang J, Lindstrom JM. Efficient expression of functional (α6β2)2β3 AChRs in Xenopus oocytes from free subunits using slightly modified α6 subunits. PLoS One 2014; 9:e103244. [PMID: 25068303 PMCID: PMC4113361 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0103244] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/30/2014] [Accepted: 06/23/2014] [Indexed: 11/19/2022] Open
Abstract
Human (α6β2)(α4β2)β3 nicotinic acetylcholine receptors (AChRs) are essential for addiction to nicotine and a target for drug development for smoking cessation. Expressing this complex AChR is difficult, but has been achieved using subunit concatamers. In order to determine what limits expression of α6* AChRs and to efficiently express α6* AChRs using free subunits, we investigated expression of the simpler (α6β2)2β3 AChR. The concatameric form of this AChR assembles well, but is transported to the cell surface inefficiently. Various chimeras of α6 with the closely related α3 subunit increased expression efficiency with free subunits and produced pharmacologically equivalent functional AChRs. A chimera in which the large cytoplasmic domain of α6 was replaced with that of α3 increased assembly with β2 subunits and transport of AChRs to the oocyte surface. Another chimera replacing the unique methionine 211 of α6 with leucine found at this position in transmembrane domain 1 of α3 and other α subunits increased assembly of mature subunits containing β3 subunits within oocytes. Combining both α3 sequences in an α6 chimera increased expression of functional (α6β2)2β3 AChRs to 12-fold more than with concatamers. This is pragmatically useful, and provides insights on features of α6 subunit structure that limit its expression in transfected cells.
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Affiliation(s)
- Carson Kai-Kwong Ley
- Department of Neuroscience, Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States of America
| | - Alexander Kuryatov
- Department of Neuroscience, Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States of America
| | - Jingyi Wang
- Department of Neuroscience, Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States of America
| | - Jon Martin Lindstrom
- Department of Neuroscience, Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States of America
- * E-mail:
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Sørup FH, Neumann AB, Holst H. [Varenicline poisoning for a suicidal purpose]. Ugeskr Laeger 2014; 176:V01140055. [PMID: 25352081] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/04/2023]
Abstract
Varenicline is a partial agonist on cerebral nicotine receptors and is indicated for smoking cessation. There are only a few case reports of intended overdose of varenicline. We report a history of a 45-year-old woman who ingested 40-50 mg varenicline. She spontaneously vomited shortly after ingestion which may be due to varenicline's effect on gastrointestinal 5-hydroxytryptamine3-receptors. At admission to hospital she received activated charcoal. ECG-monitoring and blood samples were all normal. She was discharged the following day.
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Affiliation(s)
- Freja Hemmingsen Sørup
- Klinisk Farmakologisk Afdeling, -Bispebjerg Hospital, Bispebjerg Bakke 23, 2400 København NV.
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