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Neuronal nicotinic acetylcholine receptors mediate ∆ 9 ‐THC dependence: Mouse and human studies
Author(s) -
Donvito Giulia,
Muldoon Pretal P.,
Jackson Kia J.,
Ahmad Urslan,
Zaveri Nur T.,
McIntosh J. Michael,
Chen Xiangning,
Lichtman Aron H.,
Damaj M. Imad
Publication year - 2020
Publication title -
addiction biology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.445
H-Index - 78
eISSN - 1369-1600
pISSN - 1355-6215
DOI - 10.1111/adb.12691
Subject(s) - rimonabant , cannabinoid , nicotinic agonist , cannabinoid receptor , endocannabinoid system , pharmacology , mecamylamine , agonist , nicotinic acetylcholine receptor , nicotine , antagonist , nicotinic antagonist , acetylcholine receptor , partial agonist , chemistry , receptor , medicine , biology , biochemistry
Cessation from prolonged use of ∆ 9 ‐tetrahydrocannabinol (THC), the primary active compound responsible for the cannabimimetic effects of cannabis, results in a mild to moderate withdrawal syndrome in humans and laboratory animals. Whereas manipulations of the endogenous cannabinoid system (eg, cannabinoid receptors and endocannabinoid regulating enzymes) alter nicotine withdrawal, in this study we asked the reciprocal question. Do nicotinic acetylcholine receptors (nAChRs) modulate THC withdrawal? To assess the role of different nAChR subtypes in THC withdrawal, we used transgenic mouse, preclinical pharmacological, and human genetic correlation approaches. Our findings show that selective α3β4* nAChR antagonist, AuIB, and α3β4* nAChR partial agonist, AT‐1001, dose‐dependently attenuated somatic withdrawal signs in THC‐dependent mice that were challenged with the cannabinoid‐1 receptor antagonist rimonabant. Additionally, THC‐dependent α5 and α6 nAChR knockout (KO) mice displayed decreased rimonabant precipitated somatic withdrawal signs compared with their wild‐type counterparts. In contrast, β2 and α7 nAChR KO mice showed no alterations in THC withdrawal signs. Moreover, deletion of β2 nAChR did not alter the reduced expression of somatic signs by the preferred α6β4* antagonist, BulA [T5A;P60]. Finally, the human genetic association studies indicated that variations in the genes that code for the α5, α3, β4, and α6 nAChRs were associated with cannabis disorder phenotypes. Overall, these findings suggest that α3β4* and α6β4* nAChR subtypes represent viable targets for the development of medications to counteract THC dependence.