Cigarette smoking in amounts used by typical daily smokers leads to nearly complete occupancy of alpha 4 beta 2* nAChRs, indicating that tobacco-dependent smokers maintain alpha 4 beta 2* nAChR saturation throughout the day. Because prolonged binding of nicotine to alpha 4 beta 2* nAChRs is associated with desensitization of these receptors, the extent of receptor occupancy found herein suggests that smoking may lead to withdrawal alleviation by maintaining nAChRs in the desensitized state.

In an effort to develop selective radioligands for in vivo imaging of neuronal nicotinic acetylcholine receptors (nAChRs), we synthesized 5-iodo-3-(2(S)-azetidinylmethoxy)pyridine (5-iodo-A-85380) and labeled it with 125 I and 123 I. Here we present the results of experiments characterizing this radioiodinated ligand in vitro. The affinity of 5-[ 125 I]iodo-A-85380 for ␣4␤2 nAChRs in rat and human brain is defined by K d values of 10 and 12 pM, respectively, similar to that of epibatidine (8 pM). In contrast to epibatidine, however, 5-iodo-A-85380 is more selective in binding to the ␣4␤2 subtype than to other nAChR subtypes. In rat adrenal glands, 5-iodo-A-85380 binds to nAChRs containing ␣3 and ␤4 subunits with 1/1000th the affinity of epibatidine, and exhibits 1/60th and 1/190th the affinity of epibatidine at ␣7 and muscle-type nAChRs, respectively. Moreover, unlike epibatidine and cytisine, 5-[ 125 I]iodo-A-85380 shows no binding in any brain regions in mice homozygous for a mutation in the ␤2 subunit of nAChRs. Binding of 5-[125 I]iodo-A-85380 in rat brain is reversible, and is characterized by high specificity and a slow rate of dissociation of the receptor-ligand complex (t 1/2 for dissociation ϳ2 h). These properties, along with other features observed previously in in vivo experiments (low toxicity, rapid penetration of the blood-brain barrier, and a high ratio of specific to nonspecific binding), suggest that this compound, labeled with 125 I or 123 I, is superior to other radioligands available for in vitro and in vivo studies of ␣4␤2 nAChRs, respectively.Nicotinic acetylcholine receptors (nAChRs) are excitatory ligand-gated cation channels that are widely distributed in mammalian organisms, appearing in the central and peripheral nervous systems, neuromuscular junctions, and adrenal glands. The nAChR channel complex is composed of five protein subunits, which form a pore that is permeable to Na ϩ , K ϩ , and Ca 2ϩ (Lindstrom, 1995;Holladay et al., 1997).To date, ␣, ␤, ␥, ␦, and ⑀ subunits have been isolated and cloned from mammalian and avian tissues, with nine varieties of ␣ and four varieties of ␤ subunits identified. The ␣1, ␤1, ␥, ␦, and ⑀ subunits form the neuromuscular junction receptor, the very first nAChR to be characterized. The other subunits (␣2-␣9 and ␤2-␤4) are found predominantly throughout the nervous system (Lindstrom, 1995;Holladay et al., 1997). This subunit diversity affords a large potential for a variety of nAChR subtypes, exhibiting distinct cationconducting properties and pharmacological heterogeneity. Based on binding properties and pharmacological sensitivity, major nAChR subtypes in mammalian brain can be categorized as ␣-bungarotoxin-sensitive (␣7) and ␣-bungarotoxin-insensitive (e.g., ␣4␤2) (Lindstrom, 1995;Holladay et al., 1997). Accordingly, 125 I-␣-bungarotoxin has been the radioligand of choice for in vitro characterization of the ␣7 subtype of nAChR, whereas tritiated agonists, such as nico-

Background-CB 1 cannabinoid receptors in the brain are known to participate in the regulation of reward-based behaviors, however, the contribution of each of the endocannabinoid transmitters, anandamide and 2-arachidonoylglycerol (2-AG), to these behaviors remains undefined. To address this question, we assessed the effects of URB597, a selective anandamide deactivation inhibitor, as a reinforcer of drug-seeking and drug-taking behavior in squirrel monkeys.

Recent observations on the steroid synthetic capability within the brain open the possibility that benzodiazepines may influence steroid synthesis in nervous tissue through interactions with peripheral-type benzodiazepine recognition sites, which are highly expressed in steroidogenic cells and associated with the outer mitochondrial membrane. To examine this possibility nine molecules that exhibit a greater than 10,000-fold difference in their affinities for peripheral-type benzodiazepine binding sites were tested for their effects on a well-established steroidogenic model system, the Y-1 mouse adrenal tumor cell line. 4'-Chlorodiazepam, PK 11195, and PK 14067 stimulated steroid production by 2-fold in Y-1 cells, whereas diazepam, flunitrazepam, zolpidem, and PK 14068 displayed a lower (1.2- to 1.5-fold) maximal stimulation. In contrast, clonazepam and flumazenil did not stimulate steroid synthesis. The potencies of these compounds to inhibit 3H-labeled PK 11195 binding to peripheral-type benzodiazepine recognition sites correlated (r = 0.985) with their potencies to stimulate steroid production. Similar findings were observed in bovine and rat adrenocortical cell preparations. These results suggest that ligands of the peripheral-type benzodiazepine recognition site acting on this mitochondrial receptor can enhance steroid production. This action may contribute specificity to the pharmacological profile of drugs preferentially acting on the benzodiazepine recognition site associated with the outer membrane of certain mitochondrial populations.

Tobacco smoking is a chronic, relapsing disorder that constitutes one of the primary preventable causes of death in developed countries. Two of the popular hypotheses to explain the development and maintenance of strong nicotine dependence in cigarette smokers posit (i) a rapid brain nicotine accumulation during cigarette smoking and/or (ii) puff-associated spikes in brain nicotine concentration. To address these hypotheses, we investigated the dynamics of nicotine accumulation in the smoker's brain during actual cigarette smoking using PET with 3-s temporal resolution and 11 C-nicotine loaded into cigarettes. The results of the study, performed in 13 dependent smokers (DS) and 10 nondependent smokers (NDS), suggest that puff-associated spikes in the brain nicotine concentration do not occur during habitual cigarette smoking. Despite the presence of a puff-associated oscillation in the rate of nicotine accumulation, brain nicotine concentration gradually increases during cigarette smoking. The results further suggest that DS have a slower process of brain nicotine accumulation than NDS because they have slower nicotine washout from the lungs and that DS have a tendency to compensate for their slower rate of brain nicotine accumulation compared with NDS by inhaling a larger volume of smoke. For these reasons, smokers' dependence on cigarette smoking, or the resistance of NDS to becoming dependent, cannot be explained solely by a faster brain nicotine accumulation.cigarette smoking | nicotine dependence | tobacco | addiction | lung T obacco smoking is a chronic, relapsing disorder that constitutes one of the leading preventable causes of death in developed countries. Smoking leads to the development of a strong dependency, and the efficacy of smoking cessation treatments is very low (1, 2). One vital issue in developing improved strategies to assist with smoking cessation is to understand the mechanisms that underlie nicotine dependence in cigarette smokers.Nicotine is the one of the ingredients of cigarette smoke that is most closely linked to tobacco dependence (3). This alkaloid interacts with both central and peripheral neuronal nicotinic acetylcholine receptors (nAChRs). The nAChRs belong to the superfamily of ligand-gated ion channels and are composed of five protein subunits. To date, nine α-subunits (α2-α10) and three β-subunits (β2-β4) have been identified in the nervous system (reviewed in ref. 4). Most of these subunits may form a heteromeric complex, but others (α7-α9) appear to function predominantly as a homomeric group. High diversity in neuronal nAChR subunits can potentially lead to an enormous variety of these receptors in the nervous system.After acute administration of nicotinic agonists, the nAChR channel complex is activated and becomes permeable for sodium, potassium, and calcium ions. Nonetheless, prolonged exposure of nAChRs to nicotinic agonists leads to desensitization of the receptors. The desensitization diminishes channel permeability and the capability of the receptors to be activate...

Assays of human postmortem brain tissue have revealed that smokers have greater densities of high-affinity nicotinic acetylcholine receptors (nAChRs) in several brain regions than do nonsmokers or exsmokers. Quantitative PET imaging of nAChRs in humans has recently been reported using the a4b2* subtypespecific radioligand 2-18 F-FA-85380 (2FA). Methods: We used PET and 2FA to measure total volumes of distribution corrected for the free fraction of 2FA in plasma (V T /f P ) in 10 nonsmokers and 6 heavy smokers (.14 cigarettes/d; abstinent for .36 h). Dynamic PET scans were performed over 8 h, commencing immediately after a bolus injection of 2FA. Anatomic sampling was performed on PET images that were coregistered to MR images acquired from each volunteer. Data were analyzed by Logan plots and by 1-and 2-tissue-compartment models using unbound, unmetabolized arterial 2FA concentration as the input function. Results: All modeling methods yielded similar results. V T /f P was significantly higher in smokers than in nonsmokers in all brain regions tested, except the thalamus. We used measures of V T /f P and estimates of nondisplaceable volume of distribution and found 25%-200% higher values in smokers than in nonsmokers for the volume of distribution for the specific binding compartment in the frontal cortex, midbrain, putamen, pons, cerebellum, and corpus callosum. These findings were consistent with voxel-based analysis using statistical parametric mapping. Conclusion: Our findings suggest that PET with 2FA can be used to study the role of nicotine-induced upregulation of nAChRs in active smokers and during smoking cessation.

One-third of smokers primarily use menthol cigarettes and usage of these cigarettes leads to elevated serum nicotine levels and more difficulty quitting in standard treatment programmes. Previous brain imaging studies demonstrate that smoking (without regard to cigarette type) leads to up-regulation of β2*-containing nicotinic acetylcholine receptors (nAChRs). We sought to determine if menthol cigarette usage results in greater nAChR up-regulation than non-menthol cigarette usage. Altogether, 114 participants (22 menthol cigarette smokers, 41 non-menthol cigarette smokers and 51 non-smokers) underwent positron emission tomography scanning using the α4β2* nAChR radioligand 2-[18F]fluoro-A-85380 (2-FA). In comparing menthol to non-menthol cigarette smokers, an overall test of 2-FA total volume of distribution values revealed a significant between-group difference, resulting from menthol smokers having 9–28% higher α4β2* nAChR densities than non-menthol smokers across regions. In comparing the entire group of smokers to non-smokers, an overall test revealed a significant between-group difference, resulting from smokers having higher α4β2* nAChR levels in all regions studied (36–42%) other than thalamus (3%). Study results demonstrate that menthol smokers have greater up-regulation of nAChRs than non-menthol smokers. This difference is presumably related to higher nicotine exposure in menthol smokers, although other mechanisms for menthol influencing receptor density are possible. These results provide additional information about the severity of menthol cigarette use and may help explain why these smokers have more trouble quitting in standard treatment programmes.

External imaging of nicotinic acetylcholine receptors (nAChRs) using techniques such as PET would help to clarify the roles of these receptors in the physiology and pathology of brain function. Here we report the results of quantitative PET studies of cerebral nAChRs with 2-[(18)F]fluoro-A-85380 (2-[(18)F]FA) in rhesus monkeys. Data from dynamic PET scans were analyzed using graphical methods. Binding potential (BP) values of 2.0, 0.4, 0.3, and 0.03 observed in the thalamus (Th), cortex (Cx), striatum (Str), and cerebellum (Cb), respectively, were consistent with the pattern of alpha(4)beta(2) nAChR distribution in monkey brain. The high value of 2-[(18)F]FA-specific binding in the rhesus monkey Th and low level of that in Cb compared with nonspecific accumulation of radioactivity in these structures allowed use of Cb as a reference region for calculation of BP and volume of distribution of specific binding (VDsb) in Th by graphical methods, both with and without the plasma input function. In contrast, estimation of 2-[(18)F]FA specific binding in low-receptor-density regions such as Cx and Str required assessment of nondisplaceable volume of distribution (VDnd) in a separate study and measurement of nonmetabolized radioligand concentrations in the plasma. For accurate quantitation of 2-[(18)F]FA-specific binding by graphical analysis, PET studies should last up to 7 h due to the slow kinetics of 2-[(18)F]FA brain distribution. Further, to avoid substantial underestimation in measured BP values the doses of administered 2-[(18)F]FA should not exceed 0.1 nmol/kg body weight. The findings suggest that 2-[(18)F]FA is a promising ligand for quantitation of nAChRs in human brain.