Alcohol and nicotinic acetylcholine receptors

Alcohol Modulation of Neuronal Nicotinic Acetylcholine Receptors Is Subunit Dependent

Background: We have previously shown that n-alcohols exert a dual action on the 4 2-type neuronal nicotinic acetylcholine (ACh) receptors (AChRs), with shorter-chain alcohols potentiating and longerchain alcohols inhibiting ACh-induced currents. Ethanol potentiates the current in 4 2 receptors, yet it has little or no effect on the 3 2 receptors. Because the 4 AChRs are present predominantly in...

Nicotinic acetylcholine receptors and cancer

Nicotine, the primary addictive constituent of cigarettes, is believed to contribute to cancer promotion and progression through the activation of nicotinic acetylcholine receptors (nAChRs), which are membrane ligand-gated cation channels. nAChRs activation can be triggered by the neurotransmitter Ach, or certain other biological compounds, such as nicotine. In recent years, genome-wide associa...

Nicotinic acetylcholine receptors modulate osteoclastogenesis

BACKGROUND Our aim was to investigate the role of nicotinic acetylcholine receptors (nAChRs) in in-vitro osteoclastogenesis and in in-vivo bone homeostasis. METHODS The presence of nAChR subunits as well as the in-vitro effects of nAChR agonists were investigated by ex vivo osteoclastogenesis assays, real-time polymerase chain reaction, Western blot and flow cytometry in murine bone marrow-de...

An Introduction to nicotinic acetylcholine receptors and acetylcholine-binding protein

Modulation of Basal Glutamatergic Transmission by Nicotinic Acetylcholine Receptors in Rat Hippocampal Slices

Objective(s) Nicotinic acetylcholine receptors (nAChRs) regulate epileptiform activity and produce a sustained pro-epileptogenic action within the hippocampal slices. In the present study, we investigated the effect of nAChRs on evoked glutamatergic synaptic transmission in area CA3 and CA1 of rat hippocampal slices to identify possible excitatory circuits through which activation of nAChRs pr...