E-Cigarettes The Way To Go or No?

    

            Dr. Daniel McGehee a professor at the University of Chicago came to Loyola University Chicago to speak at a neuroscience seminar on February 23rd about research regarding Nicotine intake, and its effect on neurological activity influencing addiction. Dr.McGehee’s presentation included research that his laboratory is conducting regarding the intake of nicotine. The substance nicotine was introduced into brain slices from mice and was further studied on how it activates nicotinic receptors (nAChRs) in the brain and increases the excitability of dopamine (DA) neurons in the ventral tegmental area (VTA). According to other studies there have been results where scientists have seen this before specifically with drugs. With the excitation of DA neurons in the VTA, this directly facilitated the long-term potentiation in VTA dopamine neurons that increased glutamate release by naChRs. This illustrates the strength of nicotine and its ability to alter synaptic strength of the dopaminergic neurons to long term rather than short term. The significance of this alteration to the neuron activity in the brain is that it is happening in the VTA where many studies have shown to be the local source of addiction. Current research is ongoing on how to better understand nicotine, its effects on neurological activity when it is present in the VTA. Discoveries presented from Dr. McGehee’s presentation will allow further investigation on the long-term synaptic strength issues and smoking addiction. 

 

              Through a more societal perspective, there has been an uprising in the new e-cigarettes or aka -vape pens. An article from the New York Times but Sabrina Tavernise talks about how E-Cigarette Use by U.S. teenagers is increasing, “About 5 percent of middle- school students reported using e-cigarettes in 2015, up from about 4 percent in 2014, according to data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.” Also the popularity of electronic cigarettes have soared since their introduction in the mid-200s, “ Bonnie Herzog, an analyst with Wells Fargo, estimates the total vapor market, including e- cigarettes and other related products, such as liquids and personal vaporizers, totaled about $3.3 billion in the United States 2015.”  It is clear that e-cigarettes are starting to become popular and appeal to the youth. With the discoveries made by Dr. McGehee it should be concerning that the rise of electronic cigarettes is replacing the everyday tobacco cigarrete , even though this alternative is claimed to be “healthier”. The fact is that there is still tobacco in the product, and Dr.Thomas R. Frieden, the director of the C.D.C. states, “No form of youth tobacco is safe. Nicotine is an addictive drug and use during adolescence may cause lasting harm to brain development.” This is an interesting statement made given the results of Dr.McGehee’s experiments in changing DA levels in the VTA and its correlation to longer lasting DA that affects the VTA- a source commonly known for addiction. And so all this is something to think about when you or someone you know picks up an electronic cigarette risking the chances of leading to addiction.

Mao,D., Gallagher, K., McGehee, D. “Nicotine Potentiation of Excitatory Inputs to Ventral Tegmental Area Dopamine Neurons.” The Journal of Neuroscience 31. 18 (2011): 6710-6720. Print.

 Tavernise, Sabrina. "E-Cigarette Use by U.S. Teenagers Rose Last Year, Report Says." New York Times. New York Times, 14 Apr. 2016. Web.