IS DOPAMINE IMPORTANT IN NICOTINE DEPENDENCE

Nicotine, like other drugs when abused, can produce a wide array of be haviours, some of which collectively propel 'drug-seeking behaviour'. This review focuses on three stimulus properties of nicotine and exami nes the role of dopamine in mediating each effect with respect to D1 a nd D2 receptor subtypes. Dopamine appears to be critical in mediating the reinforcing effects of nicotine, which is in line with other commo nly abused psychomotor stimulants. However, evidence derived from stud ies with local microinjections of nicotine suggests that the origin of nicotine action to produce its other stimulus properties may be via m ultiple neuroanatomical substrates. The aversive stimulus effects are resistant to dopamine receptor antagonists. The discriminative stimulu s effects of nicotine, despite showing some modification with dopamine rgic compounds, appear not to be solely mediated via the mesolimbic do pamine system. Taken together, the neurobiology of nicotine dependence remains complex. Nonetheless, such dissociation between stimulus prop erties may permit the development of more effective therapies in comba ting tobacco dependence. ((C)Elsevier, Paris).