title: Pharmacotherapy in smoking cessation: Corticotropin Releasing Factor receptors as emerging intervention targets.
abstract: Smoking represents perhaps the single most important health risk factor and a global contributor to mortality that can unquestionably be prevented. Smoking is responsible for many diseases, including various types of cancer, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, coronary heart disease, peripheral vascular disease and peptic ulcer, while it adversely affects fetal formation and development. Since smoking habit duration is a critical factor for mortality, the goal of treatment should be its timely cessation and relapse prevention. Drug intervention therapy is an important ally in smoking cessation. Significant positive steps have been achieved in the last few years in the development of supportive compounds. In the present review, we analyze reports studying the role of Corticotropin Releasing Factor (CRF), the principle neuroendocrine mediator of the stress response and its two receptors (CRF1 and CRF2) in the withdrawal phase as well as in the abstinence from nicotine use. Although still in pre-clinical evaluation, therapeutic implications of these data were investigated in order to highlight potential pharmaceutical interventions.
authors.affiliation: Laboratory of Pharmacology, Medical School, Democritus University of Thrace, Alexandroupolis 68100, Greece.
authors.forename: Ioannis
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Sotiriou
authors.affiliation: Department of Biology, University of Crete, Heraklion 71306, Greece.
authors.forename: Kleanthi
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Chalkiadaki
authors.affiliation: Laboratory of Pharmacology, Medical School, Democritus University of Thrace, Alexandroupolis 68100, Greece.
authors.forename: Christos
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Nikolaidis
authors.affiliation: Department of Biology, University of Crete, Heraklion 71306, Greece.
authors.forename: Kyriaki
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Sidiropoulou
authors.affiliation: Laboratory of Pharmacology, Medical School, Democritus University of Thrace, Alexandroupolis 68100, Greece. Electronic address: achatzak@med.duth.gr.
authors.forename: Ekaterini
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Chatzaki
mesh_terms: D003346:Corticotropin-Releasing Hormone / Q000378:metabolism*; D006801:Humans; D018722:Nicotinic Agonists / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D018019:Receptors, Corticotropin-Releasing Hormone / Q000378:metabolism*; D012907:Smoking / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000378:metabolism; D016540:Smoking Cessation / Q000379:methods*; D061485:Tobacco Use Cessation Devices
chemical_list: D018722:Nicotinic Agonists; D018019:Receptors, Corticotropin-Releasing Hormone; D003346:Corticotropin-Releasing Hormone
keywords: Corticotropin Releasing Factor; Nicotine; Pharmacotherapy; Receptor; Smoking cessation