Denicotinized Cigarettes & Dopamine

[Vocalek]

Denicotinized Versus Average Nicotine Tobacco Cigarette Smoking Differentially Releases Striatal Dopamine

Original Investigation:

• Edward F. Domino,
• Lisong Ni,
• Joseph S. Domino,
• Wendy Yang,
• Catherine Evans,
• Sally Guthrie,
• Heng Wang,
• Robert A. Koeppe,
• and Jon-Kar Zubieta

Denicotinized Versus Average Nicotine tobacco Cigarette Smoking Differentially Releases Striatal Dopamine Nicotine Tob Res first published online April 5, 2012 doi:10.1093/ntr/nts029

[h=2]Abstract[/h] Introduction: Nicotine has long been recognized as a necessary but insufficient component of tobacco cigarettes to maintain a psychophysiological need to smoke. This study examined venous plasma concentrations effects of nicotine in cigarette smoking after overnight abstinence to release striatal dopamine (DA).

Methods: Twenty-two male smokers smoked either denicotinized (denic) or average nicotine (nic) cigarettes under single blind conditions. Each was given [¹¹C]raclopride and scanned in a positron emission tomography (PET) facility.

Results: Smoking either denic or nic cigarettes released striatal DA. Denic cigarette smoking released DA primarily in the right striatum, whereas nic cigarette smoking released DA in both striata, but especially in the left. Increases in venous plasma nicotine concentrations correlated positively with increased DA release in the left caudate nucleus. Smoking denic cigarettes reduced craving as much as smoking nic cigarettes. Craving reduction after nic tobacco smoking correlated with increases in plasma nicotine.

Conclusions: Nonnicotine factors in tobacco smoking produce important right brain effects. Nicotine is a pharmacological factor during tobacco smoking that releases bilateral striatal DA, but more in the left brain.

So this gets me to wondering whether e-cigarette use, even without nicotine, affects dopamine reward.

De-nic tobacco cigarettes may help relieve withdrawal symptoms, but the smoker is still being exposed to all the nasty stuff in smoke that causes smoking-related diseases.