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Cigarette Smoke Exposure in Mice using a Whole-Body Inhalation System
Published on: October 22, 2020
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Thalamic glutamate decreases with cigarette smoking.
Joseph O'Neill1, Marc C Tobias, Matthew Hudkins
1Division of Child & Adolescent Psychiatry, UCLA Semel Institute for Neuroscience, 760 Westwood Plaza, Box 175919, Los Angeles, CA, 90024-1759, USA, joneill@mednet.ucla.edu.
Psychopharmacology
|February 19, 2014
Summary
Smoking is linked to lower thalamic glutamate levels in smokers, particularly with higher consumption. This finding supports developing new therapies for smoking cessation targeting glutamate pathways.
Area of Science:
- Neuroscience
- Neuroimaging
- Addiction Research
Background:
- Nicotine and smoking impact brain neurochemistry, particularly glutamate (Glu).
- Preclinical and PET imaging suggest smoking reduces extracellular Glu.
- Nicotinic acetylcholine receptors (nAChRs), crucial for Glu release, are abundant in the thalamus.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the effect of tobacco smoking on thalamic glutamate levels in vivo.
- To explore the relationship between smoking quantity and thalamic Glu concentration.
Main Methods:
- Proton magnetic resonance spectroscopic imaging ((1)H MRSI) was used to measure thalamic Glu levels.
- 18 smokers and 16 non-smokers participated in the study.
- Measurements were conducted using 1.5 T magnetic field strength.
Main Results:
- No significant difference in mean thalamic Glu levels was observed between smokers and non-smokers.
- Within the smoker group, Glu levels showed a significant negative correlation with daily cigarette consumption (r = -0.64, p = 0.006).
- Thalamic Glu levels were also negatively correlated with smoking history, measured in pack-years (r = -0.66, p = 0.005).
Conclusions:
- Smoking is associated with reduced thalamic glutamate levels in individuals who smoke.
- Higher cigarette consumption and longer smoking history correlate with lower Glu levels in the thalamus.
- These findings support the development of glutamatergic therapies for smoking cessation and offer a potential noninvasive biomarker for treatment efficacy.
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