The primary
therapeutic use of nicotine is in treating nicotine dependence
in order to eliminate smoking with its risks to health.
Controlled levels of nicotine are given to patients through
gums, dermal patches, lozenges, or nasal sprays in an effort to
wean them off their dependence.
However, in a few situations, smoking has been observed to
apparently be of therapeutic value to patients. These are often
referred to as "Smoker’s Paradoxes". Although in most cases the
actual mechanism is understood only poorly or not at all, it is
generally believed that the principal beneficial action is due
to the nicotine administered, and that administration of
nicotine without smoking may be as beneficial as smoking,
without the higher risk to health due to tar and other
ingredients found in tobacco.
For instance, recent studies suggest that smokers require less
frequent repeated revascularization after percutaneous coronary
intervention (PCI). Risk of ulcerative colitis has been
frequently shown to be reduced by smokers on a dose-dependent
basis; the effect is eliminated if the individual stops smoking.
Smoking also appears to interfere with development of Kaposi's
sarcoma, breast cancer among women carrying the very high risk
BRCA gene, preeclampsia, and atopic disorders such as allergic
asthma. A plausible mechanism of action in these cases may be
nicotine acting as an anti-inflammatory agent, and interfering
with the inflammation-related disease process, as nicotine has
vasoconstrictive effects.
With regard to neurological diseases, a large body of evidence
suggests that the risks of Parkinson's disease or Alzheimer's
disease might be twice as high for non-smokers than for smokers.
Many such papers regarding Alzheimer's disease and Parkinson's
Disease have been published. A plausible mechanism of action in
these cases may be the effect of nicotine, a cholinergic
receptor agonist, in decreasing the levels of acetylcholine in
the smoker's brain; Parkinson's disease occurs when the effect
of dopamine is less than that of acetylcholine.
Recent studies have indicated that nicotine can be used to help
adults suffering from Autosomal dominant nocturnal frontal lobe
epilepsy. The same areas that cause seizures in that form of
epilepsy are also responsible for processing nicotine in the
brain.
Nicotine and its metabolites are being researched for the
treatment of a number of disorders, including ADHD and
Parkinson's Disease.
The therapeutic use of nicotine as a means of appetite-control
and to promote weight loss is anecdotally supported by many
ex-smokers who claim to put on weight after quitting. However
studies of nicotine in mice suggests it may play a role in
weight-loss that is independent of appetite. And studies
involving the elderly suggest that nicotine affects not only
weight loss, but also prevents some weight gain.
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Nicotine
History and name
Chemistry
Pharmacology
1.Pharmacokinetics
2.Pharmacodynamics
2.1 In adrenal medulla
2.2 In CNS
Psychoactive effects
Dependence
Toxicology
Therapeutic uses
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