Nicotine and smoking: a perspective from animal studies.

Nicotine plays a key role in reinforcing tobacco smoking, and exerts several psychoneuropharmacological actions which may contribute to its reinforcing effects. Thus, nicotine can improve mood and alleviate withdrawal symptoms; it can also alter CNS arousal, reduce stress, suppress appetite, and improve performance on certain tasks. Behavioural studies in animals have tended to corroborate existing theories of smoking behaviour, and have started to suggest how and where nicotine may exert its central actions in man. Clinical evidence suggests that smoking cessation would be facilitated by the administration of a nicotinic antagonist having a selective action on central nicotinic cholinoceptors of the C6 (ganglionic) type. Pharmacological studies in animals indicate that such a drug is a reasonable prospect.