Nicotine and Smoking Behavior
Brauer, L.H., Behm, F.M.., Lane, J.D., Westman, E.C., Perkins, C., Rose, J.E. (2001). "Individual differences in smoking reward from de-nicotinized cigarettes." Nicotine & Tobacco Research. 3(2):101-109.Most studies of cigarette smoking and smoking cessation have focused on the psychopharmacological effects of nicotine; relatively few have explored the role of sensory aspects of cigarette smoke. Sensory aspects of cigarette smoke play a role in the maintenance of smoking behavior, and may be particularly important for certain smokers. This paper presents the results of a pooled analysis of nine studies conducted in our laboratory, in order to explore the influence of demographic and smoking-related variables on ratings of de-nicotinized as compared to nicotine-containing cigarettes. A major finding of this analysis is that ratings of smoking derived from de-nicotinized, but not nicotine-containing, cigarettes appear to vary with level of tobacco dependence, suggesting that sensory factors may be more important to highly dependent, as compared to less-dependent, smokers. The implications of these findings for smoking cessation treatment and for future research are discussed.
Lane, J. D., Opara, E. C., Rose, J. E. and Behm, F. (1996). "Quitting smoking raises whole blood glutathione." Physiology & Behavior 60(5): 1379-81.Cigarette smoke contains numerous oxygen free radicals that may be important in smoking-related disease pathogenesis. These free radicals may overwhelm antioxidant defenses and produce a condition of oxidative stress that can result in damage to DNA and other cellular components. This study investigated whether or not indications of harmful oxidative stress decline following smoking cessation. Changes in whole blood glutathione (GSH), an index of oxidative stress level, were determined for 30 cigarette smokers who participated in an experimental smoking-cessation program. Measurements were taken during ad lib smoking and 3 weeks after smoking cessation. In 22 individuals who were continuously abstinent for 3 weeks, GSH levels rose significantly following smoking cessation, from 5.0 to 6.1 mumol/g Hb (p < 0.001). Individuals with the lowest GSH levels during ad lib smoking showed the greatest increases following cessation. Results suggest that oxidative stress and free-radical damage diminish soon after smoking cessation. Thus, some significant health benefits may appear rapidly when people quit smoking.
Lane, J. D. (1996). "Association of coffee drinking with cigarette smoking in the natural environment." Experimental & Clinical Psychopharmacology. 4(4), 409-412.Coffee drinking may serve as a cue for cigarette smoking. The associationof coffee drinking and cigarette smoking in the natural environment was studied in 6 participants who recorded every instance of ad lib cigarette smoking and coffee drinking for 4 consecutive days. The rate of cigarette smoking was higher during intervals associated with coffee drinking (2.4 cigarettes/hr) than at other times of the day (1.0 cigarettes/hr).However, diary records revealed that on average only 14% of cigarettes were smoked while drinking coffee, and only 55% of coffee-drinking events were accompanied by cigarettes. These results suggest that coffee drinking may exert some stimulus control over smoking in the natural environment. However, given the limited number of coffee-drinking episodes compared with cigarettes consumed in a day, the contributions of coffee drinking to maintaining smoking behavior are probably minimal.
Lane, J. D., Lefebvre, J. C., Rose, J. E., and Keefe, F. J. (1995). "Effects of cigarette smoking on perception of thermal pain." Experimental & Clinical Psychopharmacology, 3: 140-147.The effects of cigarette smoking on pain perception were evaluated in 18
healthy smokers. Thermal pain stimuli were used to assess pain detection
threshold and tolerance and to collect subjective ratings of the intensity
and unpleasantness of painful stimuli. After overnight abstinence, pain
perception was evaluated before and after 3 experimental treatments.
Participants smoked normal cigarettes, smoked denicotinized cigarettes, or
remained abstinent. Smoking normal cigarettes produced relative increases
in pain tolerance compared with abstinence. Smoking denicotinized
cigarettes produced intermediate effects on tolerance not different from
the other 2 treatments. Effects were not detected for pain threshold or
subjective pain ratings. Results suggest that cigarette smoking can have
antinociceptive effects, which may depend both on nicotine and on other
factors associated with smoking.
Lane, J. D. and Rose, J. E. (1995). "Effects of daily caffeine intake on smoking behavior in the natural environment." Experimental & Clinical Psychopharmacology, 3: 49-55.The effects of changes in daily caffeine intake on cigarette smoking were
investigated. Forty cigarette smokers consumed caffeine ad lib on a
baseline day then consumed controlled multiple doses of caffeine (100 mg
and 500 mg per day) for two-day trials. Smokers recorded the number of
cigarettes consumed, and measurements of expired-air carbon monoxide and salivary cotinine concentration were obtained to estimate smoke and
nicotine intake. Baseline caffeine intake averaged 449 mg per day, with
wide variations among participants. The 5-fold change in caffeine dose on
treatment days did not affect any measure of smoking behavior in these
participants. Results suggest that daily caffeine intake has little
influence on cigarette smoking in the natural environment. Coffee drinking
and cigarette smoking are commonly associated behaviors, although the
links between them are not yet understood. Results raise doubts that the
influence of coffee drinking on smoking, if any, can be attributed to the
effects of caffeine.
Rose, J. E., Levin, E. D., Behm, F. M., Westman, E. C., Stein, R. M., Lane, J. D. and Ripka, G. V. (1995). "Combined administration of agonist-antagonist as a method of regulating receptor activation." Annals of the New York Academy of Sciences 757: 218-21.