1.
Biochem Pharmacol
; 86(8): 1063-73, 2013 Oct 15.
Artigo
em Inglês
| MEDLINE
| ID: mdl-23830821
RESUMO
Chronic nicotine exposure gives rise to neural adaptations that change whole cell physiology and behaviour mainly by interacting with neuronal nicotinic acetylcholine receptors (nAChRs). The major nicotine-induced neuroadaptation is the up-regulation of brain nAChRs by means of cell-delimited post-translational mechanisms. We review what is known of the processes regulating nAChR assembly, degradation and trafficking, and how nicotine-induced modulation of these processes leads to nAChR up-regulation and changes in downstream neuronal plasticity at molecular, cellular and circuit level.