Mecamylamine blockade of both positive and negative effects of IV nicotine in human volunteers.

The ganglionic blocker mecamylamine blocks the positive reinforcing effects of IV nicotine, but has been shown to increase cigarette smoking behavior under some conditions. The effects of mecamylamine on subjective and physiologic responses to IV nicotine were evaluated in seven healthy male volunteer cigarette smokers who provided informed consent and resided on a clinical pharmacology research unit. On four separate days, each subject was given a different oral dose of mecamylamine (placebo, 5, 10, or 20 mg). One hour later subjects received the first of four doses of IV nicotine (placebo, 0.75, 1.5, and 3.0 mg); the remaining injections were given at 1-h intervals. Both the positive effects following 0.75 mg and negative effects following 3.0 mg of nicotine were significantly reversed by mecamylamine. Thus, the mecamylamine-induced increase in smoking may be due both to competitive blockade of nicotinic receptors and nicotine's reversal of aversive effects.

RCT Entities:   Population Interventions Outcomes