title: Neuronal Nicotinic Acetylcholine Receptor Modulators Reduce Sugar Intake.
abstract: Excess sugar consumption has been shown to contribute directly to weight gain, thus contributing to the growing worldwide obesity epidemic. Interestingly, increased sugar consumption has been shown to repeatedly elevate dopamine levels in the nucleus accumbens (NAc), in the mesolimbic reward pathway of the brain similar to many drugs of abuse. We report that varenicline, an FDA-approved nicotinic acetylcholine receptor (nAChR) partial agonist that modulates dopamine in the mesolimbic reward pathway of the brain, significantly reduces sucrose consumption, especially in a long-term consumption paradigm. Similar results were observed with other nAChR drugs, namely mecamylamine and cytisine. Furthermore, we show that long-term sucrose consumption increases α4β2 * and decreases α6β2* nAChRs in the nucleus accumbens, a key brain region associated with reward. Taken together, our results suggest that nAChR drugs such as varenicline may represent a novel treatment strategy for reducing sugar consumption.
authors.affiliation: Institute of Health and Biomedical Innovation, Queensland University of Technology at Translational Research Institute, Brisbane, Australia.
authors.forename: Masroor
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Shariff
authors.affiliation: Centre for Health Sciences, Bioscience Division, SRI International, Menlo Park, California, United States of America.
authors.forename: Maryka
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Quik
authors.affiliation: Institute of Health and Biomedical Innovation, Queensland University of Technology at Translational Research Institute, Brisbane, Australia.
authors.forename: Joan
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Holgate
authors.affiliation: Institute of Health and Biomedical Innovation, Queensland University of Technology at Translational Research Institute, Brisbane, Australia.
authors.forename: Michael
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Morgan
authors.affiliation: Institute of Health and Biomedical Innovation, Queensland University of Technology at Translational Research Institute, Brisbane, Australia.
authors.forename: Omkar L
authors.initials: OL
authors.lastname: Patkar
authors.affiliation: School of Psychology and Counselling, Queensland University of Technology, Brisbane, Australia.
authors.forename: Vincent
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Tam
authors.affiliation: Institute of Health and Biomedical Innovation, Queensland University of Technology at Translational Research Institute, Brisbane, Australia.
authors.forename: Arnauld
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Belmer
authors.affiliation: Institute of Health and Biomedical Innovation, Queensland University of Technology at Translational Research Institute, Brisbane, Australia.
authors.forename: Selena E
authors.initials: SE
authors.lastname: Bartlett
mesh_terms: D000470:Alkaloids / Q000494:pharmacology; D000818:Animals; D001392:Azocines / Q000494:pharmacology; D004353:Drug Evaluation, Preclinical; D005518:Food Preferences / Q000187:drug effects*; D008297:Male; D008464:Mecamylamine / Q000494:pharmacology; D018722:Nicotinic Agonists / Q000494:pharmacology*; D018733:Nicotinic Antagonists / Q000494:pharmacology*; D009714:Nucleus Accumbens / Q000378:metabolism; D011807:Quinolizines / Q000494:pharmacology; D017208:Rats, Wistar; D011978:Receptors, Nicotinic / Q000378:metabolism; D013395:Sucrose / Q000378:metabolism*; D000068580:Varenicline / Q000494:pharmacology; D000093843:Quinolizidine Alkaloids
chemical_list: D000470:Alkaloids; D001392:Azocines; D008464:Mecamylamine; D018722:Nicotinic Agonists; D018733:Nicotinic Antagonists; D011807:Quinolizines; D011978:Receptors, Nicotinic; D013395:Sucrose; D000068580:Varenicline; C004712:cytisine; D000093843:Quinolizidine Alkaloids