Neuroprotective and Neurotoxic Effects of Nicotine
Abstract
The interest in the action of nicotine in the central nervous system (CNS) has significantly increased during the past 15 years. This is due in part to the growing importance of nicotine addiction and its consequences in terms of life quality and costs for public health systems in industrialized countries and, on the other hand, to the significantly higher prevalence of tobacco consumption in patients with psychiatric disorders. The actual data indicate opposite effects of nicotine in the CNS. Nicotine seems to have, at the same time, positive, neuroprotective as well as negative, neurotoxic effects. This suggests that nicotine's action is complex, probably involving different neuronal circuits influencing each other through complicated interactions. In the present review we summarize the most important results of experiments about nicotinic neuroprotection and neurotoxicity in humans and animals. Initially, we illustrate well known modifications of cholinergic transmission during physiological (normal aging) and pathological neurodegeneration. In the second part of the paper we describe neuroprotective and neurotoxic effects of nicotine also mentioning the underlying molecular mechanisms.
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Nicotine-induced apoptosis in the immature brain differs from its effect in the mature brain.
“nicotine-induced apoptosis in the immature brain is distinct from its effect in the mature brain.”
From Developmental toxicity of nicotine: A transdisciplinary synthesis and implications for emerging tobacco products (2017) · cites this paper as [61]
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England, L. J., Aagaard, K., Bloch, M., Conway, K., Cosgrove, K., Grana, R., Gould, T. J., Hatsukami, D., Jensen, F., Kandel, D., et al. (2017) · Neuroscience & Biobehavioral Reviews · doi:10.1016/j.neubiorev.2016.11.013 · Cited by 181 · see citing works
Seralini, G.-E., & Jungers, G. (2021) · Toxicology Reports · doi:10.1016/j.toxrep.2021.07.014 · Cited by 57 · see citing works
Unique effects of nicotine across the lifespan
Ren, M., Lotfipour, S., & Leslie, F. (2022) · Pharmacology Biochemistry and Behavior · doi:10.1016/j.pbb.2022.173343 · Cited by 40 · see citing works
Wang, C., Huang, P., Shen, Z., Qian, W., Li, K., Luo, X., Zeng, Q., Guo, T., Yu, H., Yang, Y., et al. (2019) · Neuroscience Letters · doi:10.1016/j.neulet.2018.12.013 · Cited by 16 · see citing works
Cadoni, C., De Felice, M., Corongiu, S., Dessì, C., Espa, E., Melis, M., & Fenu, S. (2020) · Addiction Biology · doi:10.1111/adb.12803 · Cited by 10 · see citing works
- Authors
- Ferrea, S., & Winterer, G.
- Affiliations
- Düsseldorf University Hospital (DE)
- Heinrich Heine University Düsseldorf (DE)
- Venue
- Pharmacopsychiatry
- Publisher
- Georg Thieme Verlag KG
- Published
- 2009-11
- Volume
- 42
- Issue
- 06
- Pages
- 255-265
- ISSN
- 0176-3679 (ISSN-L)
- 1439-0795
- OpenAlex
- W2011302624
- Cited by
- 76
- References
- 0
- Citations by year
- 2026: 2 · 2025: 4 · 2024: 1 · 2023: 3 · 2022: 4 · 2021: 6 · 2020: 3 · 2019: 3 · 2018: 4 · 2017: 3 · 2016: 3 · 2015: 6 · 2014: 8 · 2013: 8 · 2012: 4
- FWCI
- 2.41
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Open access
- closed
- Locations
- Pharmacopsychiatry (publishedVersion)
- PubMed (publishedVersion)
- Funders
- Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft
- Topics
- Life Sciences › Biochemistry, Genetics and Molecular Biology › Molecular Biology › Nicotinic Acetylcholine Receptors Study
- Health Sciences › Medicine › Physiology › Smoking Behavior and Cessation
- Life Sciences › Neuroscience › Cellular and Molecular Neuroscience › Neuroscience and Neuropharmacology Research
- Keywords
- nicotine, neuroprotection, neurotoxicity, nicotinic acetylcholine receptors, cholinergic neurotransmission, neurodegeneration, aging, nicotine dependence, molecular mechanisms
- MeSH terms
- Animals, Brain, Humans, Neurons, Nicotine, Neuroprotective Agents, Nicotinic Agonists
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