Evidence map›Paper›PMID 25964258›Full record

ArticleMolecular pharmacology2015

Menthol Enhances the Desensitization of Human α3β4 Nicotinic Acetylcholine Receptors.

Hoai T Ton, Amanda E Smart, Brittany L Aguilar, Thao T Olson, Kenneth J Kellar, Gerard P Ahern

Open access · bronzeAbstract read
In one paragraph

Article in Molecular pharmacology, 2015. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 35 papers.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
35citing papers in PubMed
2.7field-weighted citation impact, top 9% of its field
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

35 citing papers in PubMed, 44 citations in OpenAlex.

  1. Trial
  2. Synthetic cooling agents enhance nicotine reinforcement and mesolimbic dopamine signaling.Neuropsychopharmacology : official publication of the American College of Neuropsychopharmacology · 2026
    Article
  3. Chemosensory tobacco product toxicology part 2: toxicological testing, assays, and state of the science.Toxicological sciences : an official journal of the Society of Toxicology · 2025
    Review
  4. Article
  5. Article
  6. Review
  7. Review
  8. Article
  9. Article
  10. Differences in Cognitive Task Performance, Reinforcement Enhancement, and Nicotine Dependence Between Menthol and Nonmenthol Cigarette Smokers.Nicotine & tobacco research : official journal of the Society for Research on Nicotine and Tobacco · 2021
    Article
  11. Article
  12. Review
  13. Article
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  16. Review
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4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

6 authors at 1 institution in 1 country.

Hoai T TonDepartment of Pharmacology and Physiology, Georgetown University, Washington, District of Columbia.
Amanda E SmartDepartment of Pharmacology and Physiology, Georgetown University, Washington, District of Columbia.
Brittany L AguilarDepartment of Pharmacology and Physiology, Georgetown University, Washington, District of Columbia.
Thao T OlsonDepartment of Pharmacology and Physiology, Georgetown University, Washington, District of Columbia.
Kenneth J KellarDepartment of Pharmacology and Physiology, Georgetown University, Washington, District of Columbia gpa3@georgetown.edu kellark@georgetown.edu.
Gerard P AhernDepartment of Pharmacology and Physiology, Georgetown University, Washington, District of Columbia gpa3@georgetown.edu kellark@georgetown.edu.
Georgetown University · US

Funding

Predoctoral Training in Intergrative NeuroscienceT32NS041231 · NINDS · GEORGETOWN UNIVERSITY · PI Ludise Malkova, Ashley S VanMeter · 2001 to 2026
$6.8M
Pharmacology and Regulation of Nicotinic Receptor SubtypesR01DA012976 · NIDA · GEORGETOWN UNIVERSITY · PI KELLAR, KENNETH J · 2001 to 2012
$4.0M
Nociceptive Innervation and Receptors in the BladderU01DK101040 · NIDDK · GEORGETOWN UNIVERSITY · PI AHERN, GERARD P · 2013 to 2013
$294k
NIDA NIH HHS R01 DA012976NIDA NIH HHS R01-DA012976NIDDK NIH HHS U01 DK101040NIDDK NIH HHS U01-DK101040NINDS NIH HHS T32 NS041231
6 · The paper itself

Abstract

The α3β4 nicotinic acetylcholine receptor (nAChR) subtype is widely expressed in the peripheral and central nervous systems, including in airway sensory nerves. The nAChR subtype transduces the irritant effects of nicotine in tobacco smoke and, in certain brain areas, may be involved in nicotine addiction and/or withdrawal. Menthol, a widely used additive in cigarettes, is a potential analgesic and/or counterirritant at sensory nerves and may also influence nicotine's actions in the brain. We examined menthol's effects on recombinant human α3β4 nAChRs and native nAChRs in mouse sensory neurons. Menthol markedly decreased nAChR activity as assessed by Ca(2+) imaging, (86)Rb(+) efflux, and voltage-clamp measurements. Coapplication of menthol with acetylcholine or nicotine increased desensitization, demonstrated by an increase in the rate and magnitude of the current decay and a reduction of the current integral. These effects increased with agonist concentration. Pretreatment with menthol followed by its washout did not affect agonist-induced desensitization, suggesting that menthol must be present during the application of agonist to augment desensitization. Notably, menthol acted in a voltage-independent manner and reduced the mean open time of single channels without affecting their conductance, arguing against a simple channel-blocking effect. Further, menthol slowed or prevented the recovery of nAChRs from desensitization, indicating that it probably stabilizes a desensitized state. Moreover, menthol at concentrations up to 1 mM did not compete for the orthosteric nAChR binding site labeled by [(3)H]epibatidine. Taken together, these data indicate that menthol promotes desensitization of α3β4 nAChRs by an allosteric action.

Indexed as

AcetylcholineAllosteric RegulationAnimalsBridged Bicyclo Compounds, HeterocyclicCells, CulturedCholinergic AgonistsHEK293 CellsHumansIon ChannelsMentholMiceMice, Inbred C57BLNicotineNodose GanglionPyridinesReceptors, NicotinicAcetylcholineBridged Bicyclo Compounds, HeterocyclicCholinergic AgonistsepibatidineIon ChannelsMentholNicotinenicotinic receptor alpha3beta4PyridinesReceptors, Nicotinic

Identifiers

PMID25964258
PMCPMC4518085
OpenAlexW2118277408

What OpenQuestion holds

Textmetadata
Read underepoch 390

Registered trials

None linked

Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.