Nicotine Decreases Food Intake Through Activation of POMC Neurons
Open accessAbstract
Nicotine decreases weight gain by targeting a brain pathway involved in the regulation of energy balance and food intake.
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Nicotine has appetite-suppressing effects, leading many smokers to report reduced food intake.
“Nicotine, the primary psychoactive component of tobacco, is known to cause appetite-suppressing effects leading many smokers to report reduced food intake on one hand”
From Smoking and its impact on eating behavior: A review (2026) · cites this paper as [6]
The Abstract says smoking decreases appetite, and the paper reports that nicotine decreases food intake in mice. It also says smokers often report smoking to control their weight, but it does not say that many smokers report reduced food intake. (LLM, conf=0.83)
Experimental — accuracy not yet measuredNicotine interacts with the brain's reward system and alters neurotransmitter activity, particularly dopamine and serotonin, which play key roles in hunger and satiety regulation.
“Studies have shown that nicotine interacts with the brain's reward system and alters neurotransmitter activity, particularly dopamine and serotonin, which play key roles in hunger and satiety regulation [2, 3, 4, 5-6].”
From Smoking and its impact on eating behavior: A review (2026) · cites this paper as [6]
The paper reports that nicotine activates hypothalamic POMC neurons through nicotinic acetylcholine receptors and decreases food intake in mice (Abstract; no page given). It does not establish the claimed reward-system mechanism or identify dopamine and serotonin as the neurotransmitters involved in hunger and satiety regulation; searches for those terms found no supporting passage. (LLM, conf=0.84)
Experimental — accuracy not yet measuredTobacco smokers usually have lower body weight and body mass index (BMI) compared to nonsmokers, which may be explained by the suppressive effect of nicotine on appetite.
“Tobacco smokers usually have lower body weight and body mass index (BMI) compared to nonsmokers, which may be explained by the suppressive effect of nicotine on appetite [17].”
From The Effect of Tobacco Smoking on Bone Mass: An Overview of Pathophysiologic Mechanisms (2018) · cites this paper as [17]
In vivo, nicotine increases c-fos immunoreactivity predominantly in POMC-positive cells.
“and in vivo, as evidenced by an increase in c-fos immunoreactivity predominantly in POMC-positive cells (Huang et al., 2011; Mineur et al., 2011).”
From Acetylcholine as a Neuromodulator: Cholinergic Signaling Shapes Nervous System Function and Behavior (2012) · cites this paper as Mineur et al., 2011
The increase in POMC neuron activity predominates in vitro due to more rapid desensitization of nAChR responses in NPY neurons.
“although the increase in POMC neuron activity predominates in vitro due to more rapid desensitization of nAChR responses in NPY neurons”
From Acetylcholine as a Neuromodulator: Cholinergic Signaling Shapes Nervous System Function and Behavior (2012) · cites this paper as Mineur et al., 2011
In the arcuate nucleus of the hypothalamus, nicotine increases the firing rate of both POMC- and NPY-positive neurons.
“In the arcuate nucleus of the hypothalamus, nicotine increases the firing rate of both POMC- and neuropeptide Y (NPY)-positive neurons”
From Acetylcholine as a Neuromodulator: Cholinergic Signaling Shapes Nervous System Function and Behavior (2012) · cites this paper as Mineur et al., 2011
β4-containing nAChRs on POMC neurons are critical for the ability of nicotine to reduce food intake in mice.
“β4-containing nAChRs on POMC neurons are critical for the ability of nicotine to reduce food intake in mice (Mineur et al., 2011).”
From Acetylcholine as a Neuromodulator: Cholinergic Signaling Shapes Nervous System Function and Behavior (2012) · cites this paper as Mineur et al., 2011
Insulin and nicotine exert synergistic effects on the hypothalamic melanocortin system and modulate dopaminergic pathways of the reward circuitry.
“Insulin and nicotine exert synergistic effects on the hypothalamic melanocortin system, 158 a major regulator of food intake, and modulate dopaminergic pathways of the reward circuitry.159,160”
From Intranasal insulin (2021) · cites this paper as [158]
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- Authors
- Mineur, Y. S., Abizaid, A., Rao, Y., Salas, R., DiLeone, R. J., Gündisch, D., Diano, S., De Biasi, M., Horvath, T. L., Gao, X.-B., & Picciotto, M. R.
- Affiliations
- Yale University (US)
- Baylor College of Medicine (US)
- University of Hawaii at Hilo (US)
- Department of Neuroscience, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX 77030, USA.
- Department of Comparative Medicine, Yale University School of Medicine, 34 Park Street, Third Floor Research, New Haven, CT 06508, USA.
- Corresponding author
- Picciotto, Marina R.
- ORCID
- Venue
- Science
- Published
- 2011-06-10
- Volume
- 332
- Issue
- 6035
- Pages
- 1330-1332
- ISSN
- 0036-8075 (ISSN-L)
- 1095-9203
- PMC
- PMC3113664
- OpenAlex
- W2070076444
- Cited by
- 439
- References
- 35
- Citations by year
- 2026: 16 · 2025: 22 · 2024: 47 · 2023: 18 · 2022: 24 · 2021: 26 · 2020: 22 · 2019: 31 · 2018: 31 · 2017: 32 · 2016: 24 · 2015: 27 · 2014: 31 · 2013: 32 · 2012: 38
- FWCI
- 17.58
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Open access
- green
- www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov
- Locations
- Science (publishedVersion)
- PubMed (publishedVersion)
- Europe PMC (PubMed Central) (acceptedVersion)
- PubMed Central (acceptedVersion)
- Funders
- National Institutes of Health (DP1OD006850)
- National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism (P50AA015632, AA15632)
- National Institute on Drug Abuse (DA14241, K02DA000436, DA017173, R01DA014241, R01DA017173, DA 00436, R37DA014241)
- National Cancer Institute (U19CA148127)
- National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases (R01DK070723, DK-080000, DK-070039, DK 070723, R01DK070039, R01DK080000)
- National Center for Research Resources (RR016467, P20RR016467)
- Topics
- Life Sciences › Neuroscience › Endocrine and Autonomic Systems › Regulation of Appetite and Obesity
- Health Sciences › Medicine › Physiology › Smoking Behavior and Cessation
- Life Sciences › Biochemistry, Genetics and Molecular Biology › Molecular Biology › Nicotinic Acetylcholine Receptors Study
- Keywords
- nicotine, dietary intake, appetite, proopiomelanocortin neurons, melanocortin-4 receptor, nicotinic acetylcholine receptors, alpha3beta4 nicotinic receptor, hypothalamus, melanocortin system, body weight regulation, obesity
- MeSH terms
- Quinolizidine Alkaloids, Alkaloids, Animals, Azocines, Eating, Ganglionic Stimulants, Male, Mice, Inbred C57BL, Neurons, Nicotine, Pro-Opiomelanocortin, Quinolizines, Receptors, Nicotinic, Mice, Knockout, Nicotinic Agonists, Mice, Melanocortins
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