Posted by ed_uk2010 on December 13, 2014, at 10:57:22
In reply to Re: Caution - with anything, posted by linkadge on December 13, 2014, at 9:37:21
Thanks Link. There's a lot I didn't know there. Interestingly enough, nortriptyline, a TCA, has been shown in trials to be an effective aid to smoking cessation. It appears to be similar in effectiveness to the nicotine patch... overall. Obviously, some people will do better on one than the other.
> Depression appears to be associated with upregulation of certain nicotinergic receptors. Nicotine causes a rapid downregulation of certain nicotinergic receptors. I assume that nicotinergic antagonists could also cause receptor downregulation or upregulation. I remember reading studies on how TCA's will alter nicotinergic rececptors over the course of weeks.
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> Nicotine initially produces catecholamine release, but tolerance to this effect is rapid.
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> There is also interaction between nicotinergic receptors, sigma receptors, dopamine and serotonin reuptake.
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> Nicotine administration acutely inhibits dopamine and enhances serotonin reuptake transporters respectively.
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> Nicotine also rapidly activates AKT and inhibits GSK-3 which are mechanisms associated with the rapid antidepressant effects of ketamine, lithium, zinc etc. Activating AKT is also neuroprotective. Nicotine displays significant neuroprotective effects in certain models. Nicotine also interacts with mTOR. Blocking mTOR receptors blocks the antidepressant effects of ketamine and scopolamine (as well as the rapid induction of BDNF and synaptogenesis).
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> Linkadge
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poster:ed_uk2010
thread:1074099
URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/20141120/msgs/1074206.html