XML Feed for RxPG News   Add RxPG News Headlines to My Yahoo!   Javascript Syndication for RxPG News

Research Health World General
 
  Home
 
 Latest Research
 Cancer
 Psychiatry
  Depression
  Neuropsychiatry
  Personality Disorders
  Bulimia
  Anxiety
  Substance Abuse
   Alcohol
   Smoking
   Amphetamine
   Opiates
   Cannabis
   Cocaine
  Suicide
  CFS
  Psychoses
  Child Psychiatry
  Learning-Disabilities
  Psychology
  Forensic Psychiatry
  Mood Disorders
  Sleep Disorders
  Peri-Natal Psychiatry
  Psychotherapy
  Anorexia Nervosa
 Genetics
 Surgery
 Aging
 Ophthalmology
 Gynaecology
 Neurosciences
 Pharmacology
 Cardiology
 Obstetrics
 Infectious Diseases
 Respiratory Medicine
 Pathology
 Endocrinology
 Immunology
 Nephrology
 Gastroenterology
 Biotechnology
 Radiology
 Dermatology
 Microbiology
 Haematology
 Dental
 ENT
 Environment
 Embryology
 Orthopedics
 Metabolism
 Anaethesia
 Paediatrics
 Public Health
 Urology
 Musculoskeletal
 Clinical Trials
 Physiology
 Biochemistry
 Cytology
 Traumatology
 Rheumatology
 
 Medical News
 Health
 Opinion
 Healthcare
 Professionals
 Launch
 Awards & Prizes
 
 Careers
 Medical
 Nursing
 Dental
 
 Special Topics
 Euthanasia
 Ethics
 Evolution
 Odd Medical News
 Feature
 
 World News
 Tsunami
 Epidemics
 Climate
 Business
 
 India
Search

Last Updated: Nov 18, 2006 - 12:32:53 PM

Smoking Channel
subscribe to Smoking newsletter

Latest Research : Psychiatry : Substance Abuse : Smoking

   DISCUSS   |   EMAIL   |   PRINT
C. elegans provides model for the genetics of nicotine dependence
Nov 4, 2006 - 6:20:00 PM, Reviewed by: Dr. Ankush Vidyarthi

This finding should allow researchers to better understand how nicotine dependence works, and perhaps devise new ways to block the craving that keeps humans smoking cigarettes.

 
The unassuming C. elegans nematode worm, a 1-millimeter workhorse of the genetics lab, is quite similar to human beings in its genetic susceptibility to nicotine dependence, according to University of Michigan researchers.

This finding should allow researchers to better understand how nicotine dependence works, and perhaps devise new ways to block the craving that keeps humans smoking cigarettes. Nicotine is the addictive substance in tobacco. Dependence on nicotine drives many of the most preventable causes of death in the U.S. and is a worldwide health problem.

A team led by X.Z. Shawn Xu, assistant research professor at the Life Sciences Institute and assistant professor of physiology at U-M Medical School, has completed a series of experiments which establish that C. elegans can get hooked on nicotine. Like humans, the nicotine-sensitive worms showed acute responses to nicotine exposure, as well as tolerance, sensitization and withdrawal.

"It turns out that worms exhibited behavioral responses to nicotine that parallel those observed in mammals," said Xu, whose name is pronounced Shoo. "But it is much easier to identify novel functions of a gene in worms."

Xu and his team found that the genes known to underlie nicotine dependence in mammals are also present in the worms. Having established worms as a model, the Xu team then tried to identify new genes important for nicotine dependence. They found for the first time that TRP channel genes which enable cells to respond to various external stimuli are a part of the nicotine response.

In fact, when they knocked the TRP gene out of worms, the animals no longer responded to nicotine exposures. But when a new generation of worms had that missing gene replaced by a human version of the TRP gene, the worms returned to being nicotine-sensitive.

"This demonstrates that human TRP genes have the capacity to mediate nicotine dependence, suggesting that human TRP genes are important for nicotine dependence in humans," Xu said.

It also makes TRP genes a potential target for the development of drugs to treat tobacco addiction, and the worms can help in that research. C. elegans can also be used to find other unknown genes critical for nicotine dependence.
 

- The paper "A C. elegans model of nicotine-dependent behavior: regulation by TRP-family channels" appears online in Cell on Nov. 3 and in the upcoming print version.
 

lsi.umich.edu/labs/xz-xu

 
Subscribe to Smoking Newsletter
E-mail Address:

 



Related Smoking News

C. elegans provides model for the genetics of nicotine dependence
Smoking Ban Associated With Rapid Improvement In Health Of Bar Workers in Scotland
Smoking media literacy (SML) is a valuable tool in efforts to discourage teens from smoking
Hold the Hookah
Weight concerns affects women's motivations to stay smoke-free after delivery
Nicotine Withdrawal Begins Within 30 Minutes
Varenicline Appears Effective In Helping Smokers Kick The Habit
Smokers with chronic pain smoke more
Varenicline Prevents Relapse of Smoking Behaviour
Varenicline produce higher continuous smoking abstinence rates


For any corrections of factual information, to contact the editors or to send any medical news or health news press releases, use feedback form

Top of Page

 

© Copyright 2004 onwards by RxPG Medical Solutions Private Limited
Contact Us