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Updated: Jun 12, 2026

Local Application of Drugs to Study Nicotinic Acetylcholine Receptor Function in Mouse Brain Slices
Published on: October 29, 2012
Nicotinic acetylcholine receptors and their role in ghrelin-producing cells
Takuya Ensho1, Hanoa Saito1, Yurika Kamimura1
1Department of Pharmacotherapeutics, School of Pharmaceutical Science, Wakayama Medical University, Wakayama, Japan.
Abstract:
Gastric orexigenic peptide ghrelin has been implicated in tobacco addiction, but there are conflicting results regarding the effects of acute smoke on the plasma ghrelin levels. In this study, we screened the effects of tobacco-related chemicals, especially focusing on the effects of nicotine on ghrelin regulation at cellular level. Nicotine alone modestly stimulated ghrelin secretion, and enhanced the stimulatory effects of isoproterenol and oxytocin on ghrelin secretion from ghrelin-producing MGN3-1 cells evaluated by a newly developed ghrelin-HiBiT assay system. MGN3-1 cells expressed high levels of α4β2 nicotinic acetylcholine receptor, and α4β2 selective agonist, epibatidine evoked substantial intracellular Ca2+ elevation. These results indicate that nAChR has a potential role in ghrelin secretion and ghrelin-mediated tobacco addiction.
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