BACKGROUND: Cigarette smoking has been associated with mood enhancing properties and modulating effects on serotonin activity. The loudness dependence (LD) of the auditory-evoked N1/P2-component has been related to serotonergic neurotransmission, i. e. the allelic variants in the promoter of the 5-hydroxytryptamine-transporter (5-HTT) gene (SCL6A4). Moreover, smoking behavior has been associated to the 5-HTT-genotype. It was hypothesized that cigarette smoking modulates the LD and this effect was expected to interact with the 5-HTT-genotype. METHODS: 5-HTT-genotype and LD were determined in 63 healthy smokers and 114 nonsmokers. RESULTS: LD was significantly affected by smoking status (p = 0.008) and 5-HTT-genotype (p = 0.045) but not by smoking*genotype-interaction or daily cigarette consumption. Current smokers exhibited a significantly weaker LD compared to nonsmokers. 5-HTT-genotype showed no significant effect on smoking behavior. DISCUSSION: The results indicate a higher serotonergic activity in smokers as compared to nonsmokers independent of 5-HTT-genotype. Since former smokers and never smokers showed similar LDs, the serotonin enhancing effect of smoking seems to be a characteristic state, which may contribute to the maintenance of smoking behavior.
BACKGROUND: Cigarette smoking has been associated with mood enhancing properties and modulating effects on serotonin activity. The loudness dependence (LD) of the auditory-evoked N1/P2-component has been related to serotonergic neurotransmission, i. e. the allelic variants in the promoter of the 5-hydroxytryptamine-transporter (5-HTT) gene (SCL6A4). Moreover, smoking behavior has been associated to the 5-HTT-genotype. It was hypothesized that cigarette smoking modulates the LD and this effect was expected to interact with the 5-HTT-genotype. METHODS: 5-HTT-genotype and LD were determined in 63 healthy smokers and 114 nonsmokers. RESULTS: LD was significantly affected by smoking status (p = 0.008) and 5-HTT-genotype (p = 0.045) but not by smoking*genotype-interaction or daily cigarette consumption. Current smokers exhibited a significantly weaker LD compared to nonsmokers. 5-HTT-genotype showed no significant effect on smoking behavior. DISCUSSION: The results indicate a higher serotonergic activity in smokers as compared to nonsmokers independent of 5-HTT-genotype. Since former smokers and never smokers showed similar LDs, the serotonin enhancing effect of smoking seems to be a characteristic state, which may contribute to the maintenance of smoking behavior.
Authors: Undine E Lang; Thomas Sander; Falk W Lohoff; Rainer Hellweg; Malek Bajbouj; Georg Winterer; Jürgen Gallinat Journal: Psychopharmacology (Berl) Date: 2006-12-21 Impact factor: 4.530
Authors: Andres Neuhaus; Malek Bajbouj; Thorsten Kienast; Peter Kalus; Dorothea von Haebler; Georg Winterer; Jürgen Gallinat Journal: Psychopharmacology (Berl) Date: 2006-04-13 Impact factor: 4.530