Nicotine administration increases serotonin synthesis and tryptophan hydroxylase expression in dorsal raphe of food-deprived rats

The effects of nicotine on the synthesis of serotonin (5-hydroxytryptamine; 5-HT), known to inhibit food intake, and the expression of tryptophan hydroxylase (TPH), the rate-limiting enzyme of 5-HT biosynthesis, in the dorsal raphe were investigated via immunohistochemistry. Male Sprague-Dawley rats...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Nutrition research (New York, N.Y.) N.Y.), 2002-12, Vol.22 (12), p.1445-1452
Main Authors: Lee, Taeck-Hyun, Jang, M.i-Hyeon, Shin, Min-Chul, Lim, Baek-Vin, Choi, Hyun-Hee, Kim, Hong, Kim, E.e-Hwa, Kim, Chang-J.u
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Biological and medical sciences
biosynthesis
Dorsal raphe
Food deprivation
food intake
Immunohistochemistry
males
Medical sciences
Nicotine
rats
Serotonin
Tobacco, tobacco smoking
Toxicology
tryptophan
Tryptophan hydroxylase
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Summary:The effects of nicotine on the synthesis of serotonin (5-hydroxytryptamine; 5-HT), known to inhibit food intake, and the expression of tryptophan hydroxylase (TPH), the rate-limiting enzyme of 5-HT biosynthesis, in the dorsal raphe were investigated via immunohistochemistry. Male Sprague-Dawley rats were divided into 4 groups: the fed group, the fed and nicotine-treated group, the food-deprived group, and the food-deprived and nicotine-treated group. Food was withheld from the food-deprived groups for 72 h. Animals of the nicotine-treated groups were injected intraperitoneally with 1 mg/kg of nicotine twice per day for 3 days. The numbers of 5-HT-positive and TPH-positive cells in the dorsal raphe were decreased in food-deprived rats. Nicotine administration exerted no significant effect on the numbers of 5-HT-positive and TPH-positive cells in fed rats, while it increased those numbers in food-deprived rats. These observations suggest that smoking has a negative bearing on the augmented desire for food under food-restricted conditions.
ISSN:0271-5317
1879-0739
DOI:10.1016/S0271-5317(02)00461-X