ReviewActa pharmacologica Sinica2020
Neural circuits and nicotinic acetylcholine receptors mediate the cholinergic regulation of midbrain dopaminergic neurons and nicotine dependence.
Review in Acta pharmacologica Sinica, 2020. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 30 papers, 2 of them syntheses that pooled it.
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Who cites it
30 citing papers in PubMed, 2 syntheses or guidelines pooled it, 118 citations in OpenAlex.
- Cholinergic system in schizophrenia: A systematic review and meta-analysis.Molecular psychiatry · 2025Pooled it
- Preclinical and clinical sex differences in the effects of alcohol on measures of brain dopamine: a systematic review.Biology of sex differences · 2025Pooled it
- Spatially Resolved Multi-Omics Reveals Brain-Kidney Compartmentalization and Region-Specific Molecular Reprogramming After Acute Nicotine Exposure.Metabolites · 2026Article
- Quercetin nanoparticles exhibit a potential therapeutic effect against the neurochemical changes and motor deficits in a rat model of Parkinson's disease.Scientific reports · 2026Article
- The subthalamic nucleus-ventral pallidum projection targeting cholinergic circuits modulates chronic pain.PLoS biology · 2026Article
- Chronic nicotine reduces nigral dopaminergic activity and remodels pedunculopontine cholinergic subpopulations.bioRxiv : the preprint server for biology · 2026Article
- Understanding varenicline function via key receptor and ligand interactions.Cell reports. Physical science · 2025Article
- The influence of stress and social defeat on neurobiological reinforcement mechanisms across reward to withdrawal in nicotine addiction.Psychopharmacology · 2025Review
- Inhibition of ventral tegmental area projections to the paraventricular thalamus attenuates conditioned cues-induced heroin seeking behavior in rats.Metabolic brain disease · 2025Article
- Adolescent nicotine exposure affects later-life nicotine reward and withdrawal in mice.Pharmacology, biochemistry, and behavior · 2025Article
- Article
- Holistic Management of Adult ADHD with a History of Addiction: Emphasis on Low-Addiction-Risk Psychopharmacotherapy.Journal of clinical medicine · 2025Review
- The BioSUD Biobank as a genomic resource for substance use disorders in Italy.Scientific reports · 2025Article
- Analysis of the significance and gender differences in the factors influencing antisocial behaviors among adolescents.Scientific reports · 2025Article
- α-Conotoxin TxIB Reversed Nicotine-Induced Locomotor Sensitization and Nicotine-Enhanced Dopaminergic Activity in Mice.Marine drugs · 2025Article
- Polytobacco usage and mental health among Malaysian secondary school-going adolescents: Findings from the national school-based study.Tobacco induced diseases · 2025Article
- Major Depression in Comorbidity with Substance use Disorders: Patients' Features and Clinical-Neurobiological Rationale of Antidepressant Treatments.Current neuropharmacology · 2025Review
- Is secondhand smoke exposure associated with depressive symptoms among secondary school students in Malaysia? Findings from a national school-based study.Tobacco induced diseases · 2025Article
- Comprehensive medicinal chemistry survey highlights a portfolio of lead molecules for Alzheimer's disease therapy.Frontiers in chemistry · 2025Review
- α4 nicotinic receptors on GABAergic neurons mediate a cholinergic analgesic circuit in the substantia nigra pars reticulata.Acta pharmacologica Sinica · 2024Article
Corrections and comments
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Authors and funding
4 authors at 1 institution in 1 country.
Funding
No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
Midbrain dopaminergic (DA) neurons are governed by an endogenous cholinergic system, originated in the mesopontine nuclei. Nicotine hijacks nicotinic acetylcholine receptors (nAChRs) and interferes with physiological function of the cholinergic system. In this review, we describe the anatomical organization of the cholinergic system and the key nAChR subtypes mediating cholinergic regulation of DA transmission and nicotine reward and dependence, in an effort to identify potential targets for smoking intervention. Cholinergic modulation of midbrain DA systems relies on topographic organization of mesopontine cholinergic projections, and activation of nAChRs in midbrain DA neurons. Previous studies have revealed that α4, α6, and β2 subunit-containing nAChRs expressed in midbrain DA neurons and their terminals in the striatum regulate firings of midbrain DA neurons and activity-dependent dopamine release in the striatum. These nAChRs undergo modification upon chronic nicotine exposure. Clinical investigation has demonstrated that partial agonists of these receptors elevate the success rate of smoking cessation relative to placebo. However, further investigations are required to refine the drug targets to mitigate unpleasant side-effects.
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Registered trials
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.