Considerations when selecting pharmacotherapy for nicotine dependence

Molecular Mechanisms Associated with Nicotine Pharmacology and Dependence

“…In addition to its actions as a catecholamine reuptake inhibitor, bupropion has also been shown to result in noncompetitive antagonism of α4β2Ã and α3β4Ã nAChRs (Carroll et al 2014) and negative allosteric modulation of serotonin 5HT 3A receptors (Pandhare et al 2017), either of which may underlie the beneficial effects found for smoking cessation. In addition to NRT, varenicline, and bupropion, the tricyclic antidepressant nortriptyline and the α-adrenergic agonist clonidine have also been prescribed for smoking cessation, although studies have generally found them to be less effective than the aforementioned therapeutics (Dodd et al 2018).…”