Neuroprotective properties of nicotine.
Utilizing the intrinsic optical signal (IOS) of retinal Spreading Depression (rSD) waves and the concomitant transparency changes of the tissue, we show that nicotine, in an in vivo near tissue preparation, has neuroprotective effects against the excitotoxic cell death, mediated through the activation of glutamate-receptors. For this study the retinal tissue was treated with NMDA, an agonist for the NMDA-glutamate-receptor, being excitotoxic at higher concentrations, to induce tissue damage. The protective effects of nicotine against glutamate induced neurotoxicity are demonstrated, comparing the IOS with NMDA and NMDA + nicotine. We additionally present data about the decrease of the propagation velocity of rSD waves after nicotine application and show analogical effects obtained with epibatidine, a specific nicotinic acetylcholine receptor (nAChR) agonist.
University of Hohenheim, Institute of Physiology, Stuttgart, Germany. michaela.sieber@uni-hohenheim.de
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D000818:Animals; D017209:Apoptosis / Q000187:drug effects; D019086:Bridged Bicyclo Compounds, Heterocyclic / Q000494:pharmacology; D002645:Chickens; D013181:Cortical Spreading Depression / Q000187:drug effects; D066298:In Vitro Techniques; D016202:N-Methylaspartate / Q000633:toxicity; D018696:Neuroprotective Agents / Q000494:pharmacology*; D009538:Nicotine / Q000494:pharmacology*; D011725:Pyridines / Q000494:pharmacology; D016194:Receptors, N-Methyl-D-Aspartate / Q000819:agonists / Q000378:metabolism; D012160:Retina / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000502:physiology; D014741:Video Recording
D019086:Bridged Bicyclo Compounds, Heterocyclic; D018696:Neuroprotective Agents; D011725:Pyridines; D016194:Receptors, N-Methyl-D-Aspartate; D016202:N-Methylaspartate; D009538:Nicotine; C082748:epibatidine