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Cited by 40Nicotinic Acetylcholine Receptors StudySmoking Behavior and CessationPrenatal Substance Exposure Effects

Unique effects of nicotine across the lifespan

Open access
Ren, Michelle, Lotfipour, Shahrdad, Leslie, Frances·2022·Pharmacology Biochemistry and Behavior
DOI 10.1016/j.pbb.2022.173343PMC PMC8904294
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Abstract

Smoking remains the leading cause of preventable death in the United States. Although combustible cigarettes are largely being replaced by tobacco-free products, nicotine use continues to increase in vulnerable populations, including youth, adolescents, and pregnant women. Nicotine exerts unique effects on specific brain regions during distinct developmental periods due to the dynamic expression of nicotinic acetylcholine receptors (nAChRs) throughout the lifespan. Nicotine exposure is a health concern not only for adults but also has neurotoxic effects on the fetus, newborn, child, and adolescent. In this review, we aim to highlight the dynamic roles of nAChRs throughout gestation, adolescence, and adulthood. We also provide clinical and preclinical evidence of the neurodevelopmental, cognitive, and behavioral consequences of nicotine exposure at different developmental periods. This comprehensive review highlights unique effects of nicotine throughout the lifespan to help elucidate interventions and public health measures to protect sensitive populations from nicotine exposure.

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Crossref · 10.1016/j.pbb.2022.173343

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  • Nicotine exposure during this highly plastic state induces long term changes in critical circuitry, maturation of monoamine systems, and behavior, including reward related behaviors.

    “Nicotine exposure during this highly plastic state induces long term changes in critical circuitry, maturation of monoamine systems, and behavior, including reward related behaviors (see Fig. 3) [4,6,7].”

    From Nicotine on the developing brain. (2023) · cites this paper as [7]

    The Results > Adolescence section describes adolescence as a sensitive maturational period and reports nicotine-related changes in reward circuitry and behavior that last into adulthood. It also discusses dopaminergic and serotonergic mechanisms, but does not specifically say that nicotine alters the maturation of monoamine systems. Page numbers are unavailable in our copy. (LLM, conf=0.85)

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  • Clinical studies have shown that nicotine exposure during adolescence, but not adulthood, is associated with subsequent increases in substance use (i.e., "gateway hypothesis").

    “Clinical studies have shown that nicotine exposure during adolescence, but not adulthood, is associated with subsequent increases in substance use (i.e., “gateway hypothesis”) [6,7,105,145].”

    From Nicotine on the developing brain. (2023) · cites this paper as [7]

    The Adolescence section (page unavailable) says adolescent nicotine exposure may lead to later abuse of other drugs, but grounds that discussion in animal studies. Its clinical evidence concerns greater difficulty quitting smoking among people who started in adolescence than among those who started as adults; it does not establish the claimed clinical association with later substance use or its absence after adult exposure. (LLM, conf=0.86)

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  • Exposure to nicotine in adolescence is associated with brain-wide changes to the expression of discrete nAChR subunits, with some transient changes appearing during treatment or withdrawal, but with some persistent changes enduring until adulthood.

    “Exposure to nicotine in adolescence is associated with brain-wide changes to the expression of discrete nAChR subunits, with some transient changes appearing during treatment or withdrawal, but with some persistent changes enduring until adulthood.”

    From Adolescent nicotine exposure and persistent neurocircuitry changes: unveiling lifelong psychiatric risks (2025) · cites this paper as [113]

    Split into 2 atoms — 0 confirmed, 2 partially supported, 0 disputed, 0 misattributed, 0 unverifiable. Expand the claim to see per-atom verdicts.

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  • From gestation to adulthood, nAChRs play a functionally distinct role in brain development through modulation of neurotransmitter release across neurodevelopmental stages.

    “From gestation to adulthood, nAChRs have been shown to play a functionally distinct role in the development of the brain through the modulation of neurotransmitter release across neurodevelopmental stages”

    From Prenatal nicotine exposure during pregnancy results in adverse neurodevelopmental alterations and neurobehavioral deficits (2023) · cites this paper as [28]

  • Nicotine exposure during critical developmental periods disrupts neural development and often has long-lasting effects on associated behaviors.

    “Nicotine exposure during critical developmental periods disrupts neural development, and often has long-lasting effects on associated behaviors [3–7].”

    From Nicotine on the developing brain. (2023) · cites this paper as [7]

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Authors
Ren, M., Lotfipour, S., & Leslie, F.
Affiliations
University of California, Irvine (US)
Corresponding author
Ren, Michelle
ORCID
Venue
Pharmacology Biochemistry and Behavior
Publisher
Elsevier BV
Published
2022-03
Volume
214
Pages
173343
ISSN
0091-3057 (ISSN-L)
DOI
10.1016/j.pbb.2022.173343
PMC
PMC8904294
OpenAlex
W4210539327
Cited by
40
References
156
Citations by year
2026: 7 · 2025: 10 · 2024: 6 · 2023: 8 · 2022: 9
FWCI
2.69
Type
journal article
Language
en
Open access
Licence
Locations
  • Pharmacology Biochemistry and Behavior (publishedVersion, cc-by)
  • PubMed (publishedVersion)
  • PubMed Central (acceptedVersion)
  • eScholarship (California Digital Library) (submittedVersion, cc-by)
Funders
  • Tobacco-Related Disease Research Program (22RT-0103, T31IP1427, R01)
  • NIH
  • National Institute on Drug Abuse
  • University of California Irvine
  • National Center for Advancing Translational Sciences
  • International Centre for Theoretical Sciences
  • Clinical and Translational Science Institute, University of California, Los Angeles
Topics
  • Life Sciences › Biochemistry, Genetics and Molecular Biology › Molecular Biology › Nicotinic Acetylcholine Receptors Study
  • Health Sciences › Medicine › Physiology › Smoking Behavior and Cessation
  • Health Sciences › Medicine › Pediatrics, Perinatology and Child Health › Prenatal Substance Exposure Effects
Keywords
nicotine, nicotinic acetylcholine receptors, lifespan development, brain development, adolescent nicotine exposure, prenatal nicotine exposure, smoking, pregnant women, youth tobacco use
MeSH terms
Adolescent, Adult, Child, Female, Humans, Infant, Newborn, Longevity, Nicotine, Pregnancy, Receptors, Nicotinic, Smoking, United States, Tobacco Products

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