The FAAH inhibitor URB-597 interferes with cisplatin- and nicotine-induced vomiting in the Suncus murinus (house musk shrew)

Considerable evidence implicates the endocannabinoid system as a neuromodulator of nausea and vomiting. The action of anandamide (AEA) can be prolonged by inhibiting its degradation, through the use of URB597 (URB), a Fatty Acid Amide Hydrolase (FAAH) enzyme inhibitor. Here we present evidence that the FAAH inhibitor, URB, interferes with cisplatin- and nicotine-induced vomiting in the Suncus murinus. In Experiment 1, shrews were injected with URB (0.9 mg/kg) or vehicle 120 min prior to the behavioral testing. They received a second injection of AEA (5 mg/kg) or vehicle 15 min prior to being injected with cisplatin (20 mg/kg) or saline and the number of vomiting episodes were counted for 60 min. In Experiment 2, shrews were injected with vehicle or URB (0.9 mg/kg) 120 min prior to receiving an injection of nicotine (5 mg/kg) or saline and the number of vomiting episodes were counted for 15 min. Experiment 3 evaluated the potential of the CB(1) antagonist, SR141716, to reverse the effect of URB on nicotine-induced vomiting. URB attenuated vomiting produced by cisplatin and nicotine and the combination of URB+AEA suppressed vomiting produced by cisplatin. The effect of URB on nicotine-induced vomiting was reversed by SR141716. These data suggest that the EC system plays a tonic role in the regulation of toxin-induced vomiting.

Silencing two herbivory-activated MAP kinases, SIPK and WIPK, does not increase Nicotiana attenuata's susceptibility to herbivores in the glasshouse and in nature

Salicylic acid-induced protein kinase (SIPK) and wound-induced protein kinase (WIPK) are activated by Manduca sexta attack and elicitors to mediate defense signaling in Nicotiana attenuata. Here, the ecological consequences of SIPK and WIPK silencing for N. attenuata's resistance to M. sexta and its other native herbivores were analyzed. Stably transformed plants with reduced expression of NaSIPK (irNaSIPK) and NaWIPK(irNaWIPK) were generated and characterized in field and glasshouse experiments. Both irNaSIPK and irNaWIPK plants had reduced direct and indirect defenses but were not particularly susceptible in nature. In the glasshouse, M. sexta larvae consumed less and gained the same mass on irNaSIPK and irNaWIPK as on wild-type (WT) plants. Green leaf volatile (GLV) emission was highly attenuated in irNaSIPK and irNaWIPK plants, and complementation with synthetic GLVs increased M. sexta performance. To test the hypothesis that reduced GLV emissions account for the lack of herbivory phenotype, GLV emissions were attenuated by silencing NaHPL in jasmonate-deficient plants (asNaLOX3), which are highly susceptible to herbivores. Reducing GLV emissions in asNaLOX3 plants 'rescued' these plants from being heavily damaged by M. sexta. GLV emissions in irNaSIPK and irNaWIPK plants may compensate for the impaired defenses of NaSIPK- and NaWIPK-silenced plants in nature by reducing their apparency to herbivores.

Effect of nicotine polyestex gum on smoking cessation and quality of life

OBJECTIVE

To determine the effectiveness and safety of the novel nicotine polyestex gum for smoking cessation, along with its impact on the quality of life (QOL).

MATERIAL AND METHOD

A double-blind, placebo-controlled, randomized clinical trial was conducted on 43 smokers. All of them received either nicotine gum or placebo. Only those who could quit completely and continuously by the end of 3 months were considered total abstinence. QOL was also measured using WHO questionnaires.

RESULTS

Treatment with nicotine polyestex gum resulted in significantly greater abstinence rate at 3 months compared with placebo (50% vs. 9%; p = 0.003). Adverse events were modest and not encountered more often than those seen in the placebo group. QOL at 3-months improved in both groups, but there was no statistically significant difference between the groups.

CONCLUSION

Nicotine polyestex gum is effective and safe for smoking cessation. It is also associated with significant improvement in the QOL.

[Nicotine dependence, smoking-related attitude, and subjective norms across the stages of change for smoking cessation among adults smokers in a rural area]

PURPOSE

The purpose of this study was to identify nicotine dependence, smoking-related attitude, and subjective norms across the stages of change for smoking cessation among adult smokers in a rural area.

METHOD

The subjects were 276 current smokers (male=243, female=33). There were 3 stages of change for smoking cessation: pre-contemplation, contemplation, and preparation stage. Data was collected by an interview or self-reporting from February 12th to March 5th 2004, and analyzed with frequency, percentage, chi- square-test, Fisher's exact probability test, ANOVA, and Scheffe test using the SPSS-PC program.

RESULT

According to the stages of change, 114(41.3%) current smokers were in pre-contemplation, 110(39.9%) in contemplation, and 52(18.8%) in the preparation stage. There was a higher percentage of males than females (chi- square=8.99, p=.011) in the preparation stage. The mean score of the smoking-related attitude (F=7.43, p=.001) and subjective norm(F=27.41, p=.001) were both lowest in the pre-contemplation stage and increased positively during the stages of change for smoking cessation.

CONCLUSION

Based on these findings, the authors recommend that community-based smoking cessation programs should be developed by considering the intention or motives of current smokers and should be initiated in the preparation stage and primarily for male groups.

Gender differences among hardcore smokers: an analysis of the tobacco use supplement of the current population survey

BACKGROUND

Despite significant declines in smoking rates in the United States, a substantial percentage of adults continue to smoke. Improved understanding of current smokers and their contact with sources of cessation support future tobacco control efforts. Recent evidence suggests that hardcore smokers, established smokers without a history of quit attempts, have less contact with cessation support. Although gender is among the major factors that influence smoking cessation, no research is available on gender differences among hardcore smokers.

METHODS

Demographic, environmental, and smoking-related characteristics of female hardcore smokers and male hardcore smokers and other female smokers were examined. Data from 17,777 smokers from the 2003 Current Population Survey Tobacco Use Supplement were analyzed.

RESULTS

Compared with female hardcore smokers, male hardcore smokers were more likely to have contact with smoking restrictions at work (OR = 1.69) and at home (OR = 1.45). Compared with female hardcore smokers, female other smokers were more likely to have seen a healthcare provider during the past year who advised them to quit smoking (OR = 1.39) and more likely to have smoking restrictions at work (OR = 1.25) and at home (OR = 2.32)). Measures of nicotine dependence suggested that female hardcore smokers were less dependent than male hardcore smokers but more dependent than other female smokers.

CONCLUSIONS

The sociodemographic and healthcare access variations in tobacco use identified in our analyses have significant public health implications and underscore the vital need for clinical and scientific advances in tobacco use prevention and control efforts.

Rosiglitazone prevents diabetes by increasing beta-cell mass in an animal model of type 2 diabetes characterized by reduced beta-cell mass at birth

AIM

Interventions that preserve or increase beta-cell mass may also prevent type 2 diabetes. Rosiglitazone prevents diabetes in people with high glucose levels who have impaired glucose tolerance and/or impaired fasting glucose. The effect of this drug on both glucose levels and beta-cell mass was studied in a rat model of diabetes, characterized by reduced beta-cell mass at birth with normoglycaemia, and progression to dysglycaemia with age.

METHODS

Female Wistar rats were given either saline (vehicle) or nicotine during pregnancy and lactation. Offspring of saline-exposed dams were given vehicle and offspring of nicotine-exposed dams were randomized to receive either vehicle or rosiglitazone starting at weaning. Beta-cell mass, proliferation and apoptosis were determined at birth and at 4 and 26 weeks of age. Glucose homeostasis was examined following sequential oral glucose tolerance tests (OGTT).

RESULTS

Rosiglitazone treatment prevented the development of dysglycaemia in nicotine-exposed animals. The ability of rosiglitazone to preserve normoglycaemia appeared to be because of its ability to increase beta-cell mass through a combination of enhanced beta-cell proliferation and decreased beta-cell apoptosis.

CONCLUSIONS

These results suggest that if rosiglitazone administration is started prior to the onset of glucometabolic abnormalities, it prevents the onset of dysglycaemia by partially restoring beta-cell mass in animals with reduced beta-cell mass at birth.

The secret and soul of Marlboro: Phillip Morris and the origins, spread, and denial of nicotine freebasing

Philip Morris and other tobacco companies have been using ammonia in their manufacturing for more than half a century, and for a variety of purposes: to highlight certain flavors, to expand or "puff up" the volume of tobacco, to prepare reconstituted tobacco sheet ("recon"), to denicotinize (reduce the amount of nicotine in) tobacco, and to remove carcinogens. By the early 1960s, however, Philip Morris had also begun using ammonia to "freebase" the nicotine in cigarette smoke, creating low-yield (reduced-tar or -nicotine) cigarettes that still had the nicotine kick necessary to keep customers "satisfied" (i.e., addicted). We show that Philip Morris discovered the virtues of freebasing while analyzing the impact of the ammoniated recon used in Marlboro cigarettes. We also show how Marlboro's commercial success catalyzed efforts by the rest of the tobacco industry to discover its "secret," eventually identified as ammonia technology, and how Philip Morris later exploited the myriad uses of ammonia (e.g., for flavoring and expanding tobacco volume) to defend itself against charges of manipulating the nicotine deliveries of its cigarettes.

[Blockade of the alpha3alpha4 N-cholinoreceptors and GluR1 AMPA receptors eliminates clonic-tonic nicotinic and kainate seizures]

Monoammonium N-alkyl derivative of decylamine (IEM-1678), which blocks alpha3beta4 N-cholinoreceptors (but does not block GluR1 AMPA receptors), in doses of 1.0 - 3.0 mg/kg produces a 4-fold decrease in the frequency and lethality of nicotinic clonic-tonic seizures. However, even in the maximum dose of 3 mg/kg, IEM-1678 only slightly decreases kainate clonic-tonic seizures. Bis-ammonium compound IEM-1460 (containing adamantyl radical), which blocks both GluR1 AMPA receptors and alpha3beta4 N-cholinoreceptors, in a range of doses 0.1 - 3 mg/kg produces a 5- to 8-fold decrease in the frequency and virtually completely eliminates lethality of both clonic-tonic nicotinic and kainate seizures. Hence, the complete elimination of generalized kainate and nicotinic seizures requires combined blockade GluR1 AMPA and alpha3beta4 N-cholinoreceptors.

Effects of NPY and the specific Y1 receptor agonist [D-His(26)]-NPY on the deficit in brain reward function and somatic signs associated with nicotine withdrawal in rats

Tobacco addiction is a chronic disorder that is characterized by dysphoria upon smoking cessation and relapse after periods of abstinence. Previous research suggests that Neuropeptide Y (NPY) and Y1 receptor agonists attenuate negative affective states and somatic withdrawal signs. The aim of the present experiments was to investigate the effects of NPY and the specific Y1 receptor agonist [D-His(26)]-NPY on the deficit in brain reward function and somatic signs associated with nicotine withdrawal in rats. The intracranial self-stimulation procedure was used to assess the effects of nicotine withdrawal on brain reward function as this procedure can provide a quantitative measure of emotional states in rodents. Elevations in brain reward thresholds are indicative of a deficit in brain reward function. In the first experiment, NPY did not prevent the elevations in brain reward thresholds associated with precipitated nicotine withdrawal and elevated the brain reward thresholds of the saline-treated control rats. Similar to NPY, [D-His(26)]-NPY did not prevent the elevations in brain reward thresholds associated with precipitated nicotine withdrawal and elevated the brain reward thresholds of the saline-treated control rats. Neither NPY nor [D-His(26)]-NPY affected the response latencies. In a separate experiment, it was demonstrated that the specific Y1 receptor antagonist BIBP-3226 prevented the NPY-induced elevations in brain reward thresholds. NPY attenuated the overall somatic signs associated with precipitated nicotine withdrawal. [D-His(26)]-NPY did not affect the overall somatic signs associated with precipitated nicotine withdrawal, but decreased the number of abdominal constrictions. Both NPY and [D-His(26)]-NPY attenuated the overall somatic signs associated with spontaneous nicotine withdrawal. These findings indicate that NPY and [D-His(26)]-NPY attenuate somatic nicotine withdrawal signs, but do not prevent the deficit in brain reward function associated with precipitated nicotine withdrawal. In addition, NPY decreases the sensitivity to rewarding electrical stimuli via an Y1 dependent mechanism.

Effect of exogenous selenium on nicotine induced hyperlipidemia in rats

The effect of two different doses (1 microg Se/Kg and 50 microg Se/Kg Body wt) of selenium on nicotine induced hyperlipidemia was investigated in rats. Results revealed that nicotine intake caused an increase in concentration of cholesterol, triglycerides, free fatty acids, phospholipids and low density lipoprotein compared to control group. Coadministration of selenium along with nicotine reduced the levels of lipids compared to nicotine group. This reduction was due to reduction in the biosynthesis of lipids as evidenced by the reduced activity of HMGCoA reductase and lipogenic enzymes. Nicotine intake also reduced the absorption of selenium in the intestine. Histopathological studies revealed that selenium at a dose of 1 microg was more effective in reducing lipid levels and higher dose of selenium was toxic.

[Effects and molecular mechanism of nicotine on odontoblasts]

OBJECTIVE

To observe the effects of nicotine on the proliferation of odontoblasts and explore the possible mechanism.

METHODS

Odontoblasts MDPC-23 were cultured, inoculated and divided into two groups randomly. With no stimuli added for the control group, the experimental group was stimulated by 100 microg/mL nicotine. After 8 hours, 10 micromol/L BrdU was added to label cells at S stage in cell cycle. 24 hours later, odontoblasts were fixed and immunofluorescence staining was performed with specific mouse BrdU antibody. After counterstaining with propidium iodide, BrdU positive cells were arbitrarily scored microscopically by an independent estimation conducted three times, and the corresponding total cell number in the same vision were counted in both groups. BrdU positive cell rates were calculated and compared statistically. At the same time, odontoblasts MDPC-23 were cultured and stimulated by 100 microg/mL nicotine, the dynamic Ca2+ concentration inside the cytoplasm were detected immediately by a confocal laser scanning microscope.

RESULTS

The ratio of S stage cells in the experimental group was 36.3% significantly lower than that (48.2%) in the control group. After the addition of 100 microg/mL nicotine, the Ca2+ concentration inside the cytoplasm rose rapidly, sustained at a high level for a short time and then relapsed gradually.

CONCLUSION

Nicotine had inhibitory effects on the proliferation of odontoblasts MDPC-23, which might be related to the increased Ca2+ concentration in the cytoplasm.

Correlates of household smoking bans in low-income families of children with and without asthma

Exposure to secondhand smoke (SHS) harms all children's health, especially children with asthma. Yet, children with asthma are as likely to live with smokers as healthy children. Household smoking bans are being advocated to reduce children's harm from SHS. To measure the effect of household smoking bans on child SHS exposure and to examine correlates of strict smoking bans in a low-income, diverse sample, 91 children with asthma were matched to 91 healthy children. All had at least one smoker living in their homes. Nicotine dosimeters, child cotinine assays, and maternal reports quantified child SHS exposures. Maternal reports of household smoking rules, behaviors, and beliefs, and other family characteristics were also gathered. The presence of a strict household smoking ban vastly reduced children's SHS exposures and was associated with fewer cigarettes smoked by the mother and by other family members, the belief that SHS was a personal health risk, having children with asthma, and living in a single-family home. Many children are exposed to high levels of SHS at home. Strict household smoking bans greatly decrease, but do not eliminate children's SHS exposure. Even in disadvantaged families, mutable factors were associated with strict smoking bans. Increased dissemination and use of established public health strategies are needed to reduce children's SHS exposures.

Nicotine dependence among African American light smokers: a comparison of three scales

Approximately 50% of African American (AA) smokers are light smokers (smoke <or=10 cigarettes a day), yet this group is understudied despite being at-risk of smoking-related death and disease. This study is a secondary analysis of data from a clinical trial that assessed the efficacy of nicotine gum and counseling for smoking cessation among African American light smokers. The purpose of the current paper was to assess nicotine dependence among participants enrolled in the clinical trial using three measures of nicotine dependence. The Cigarette Dependence Scale (CDS), the Fagerstrom Test for Nicotine Dependence Scale (FTND), and the Nicotine Dependence Syndrome Scale (NDSS) were administered to 700 participants (67% female; mean age=45 years). Exhaled carbon monoxide (CO) and serum cotinine were assessed. The CDS showed the strongest association with biochemical markers (r=0.28 for cotinine and 0.25 for CO). Factor analysis of the NDSS revealed five factors: drive, priority, tolerance, continuity, and stereotypy. Compared to those who smoked 1-5 CPD, smokers who averaged 6-10 CPD scored higher on all three dependence (p<0.001) and two biochemical measures (p<0.001), and on three of the five NDSS subscales (Drive, p<0.001; Stereotypy, p<0.01; and Tolerance, p<0.01). Given the different domains tapped by each instrument, the use of multiple measures might yield the most comprehensive assessment of nicotine dependence. Results suggest the validity of these scales for African American light smokers and point to the need for sensitivity to differential levels of nicotine dependence among subgroups of light smokers.

Association between depressive mood and cigarette smoking in a large Italian sample of smokers intending to quit: implications for treatment

OBJECTIVE

The aim of the study is to assess the prevalence and degree of depression at baseline of a large cohort of smokers intending to quit.

METHODS

A cross-sectional investigation was carried out on a population of 757 smokers attending the Medical Service for Addictive Disorders, at Verona University Hospital. The degree of nicotine addiction was measured by the Fagerstrom Test of Nicotine Dependence (FTND) and current mood tested by the Self-rating Depression Scale (SDS), a commonly used and well validated instrument to assess depressive mood.

RESULTS

Two hundred and twenty-two subjects (30.3%) were depressed at baseline (SDS test score > or = 50). Bivariate analysis, using the SDs score dichotomised at the cut-off of 50 as dependent variable, shows that female gender (p=0.01) and widowhood (p<0.001) were correlated to depression. Logistic regression analysis confirms the correlation between depression and female gender (OR=2.03, IC 95%=1.42-2.88, p<0.001) and between depression and widowhood, with the greatest risk of depression among widows and widowers (OR=3.22, IC 95%=1.01-10.27, p<0.048).

CONCLUSIONS

The study showed a high degree of pre-treatment depression in smokers intending to quit. Although the association between depression and nicotine dependence has been consistently reported many times, and it is well known that depressed subjects find it more difficult to quit, most guidelines seem not to consider this connection. These findings suggest the need for baseline assessment of depression by screening all smokers seeking assistance in quitting, a priority health objective because smoking is the number one avoidable killer in developed countries.

Separate or sequential exposure to nicotine prenatally and in adulthood: Persistent effects on acetylcholine systems in rat brain regions

Nicotine is a developmental neurotoxicant but the proposed "sensitization-homeostasis" model postulates that even in adulthood nicotine permanently reprograms synaptic function. We administered nicotine to rats throughout gestation or in adulthood (postnatal days PN90-107), simulating plasma levels in smokers, with evaluations on PN105, PN110, PN120, PN130 and PN180. We assessed nicotinic acetylcholine receptor (nAChR) binding, choline acetyltransferase activity, a marker for acetylcholine (ACh) terminals, and hemicholinium-3 (HC3) binding to the choline transporter, an index of ACh presynaptic activity. Prenatal nicotine exposure elicited persistent deficits in HC3 binding in male cerebral cortex and female striatum, but little change in other parameters. Nicotine given in adulthood produced profound nAChR upregulation lasting 2 weeks after discontinuing treatment. Decrements in cerebrocortical and striatal HC3 binding emerged during withdrawal and persisted through PN180, indicative of reduced ACh synaptic activity. Prenatal nicotine did not evoke any major alterations in the response to nicotine given in adulthood. The effects seen here are substantially different from those found previously for nicotine given to adolescent rats, which showed more prolonged nAChR upregulation and profound, widespread and persistent deficits in markers of ACh synaptic function; for adolescents, prenatal nicotine exposure desensitized nAChR responses, exacerbated withdrawal-induced ACh functional deficits, and worsened the long-term outcome. Our results indicate that the effects of nicotine during prenatal or adolescent stages are indeed distinct from the effects in adults, but that even adults show persistent changes after nicotine exposure, commensurate with the sensitization-homeostasis model. These effects may contribute to lifelong vulnerability to readdiction.

Nongenomic beta estrogen receptors enhance beta1 adrenergic signaling induced by the nicotine-derived carcinogen 4-(methylnitrosamino)-1-(3-pyridyl)-1-butanone in human small airway epithelial cells

Women are at higher risk for the development of lung adenocarcinoma than men; however, the mechanisms responsible for this are poorly understood. In lung adenocarcinoma cells, the estrogen receptor beta (ERbeta) is the predominating form. We found that 17beta-estradiol enhanced proliferation of the putative cells of origin of lung adenocarcinoma, small airway epithelial cells (HPLD1), in response to the nicotine-derived nitrosamine 4-(methylnitrosamino)-1-(3-pyridyl)-1-butanone (NNK). Reverse-phase protein microarrays combined with Western blotting revealed that NNK induced phosphorylation of ERbeta, an effect that involved stimulation of the adrenergic receptors beta1 (beta1AR). In transiently transfected cells, beta1AR coprecipitated with ERbeta, which increased with NNK treatment. ERbeta enhanced NNK-induced cyclic AMP accumulation as well as Galphai-mediated mitogen-activated protein kinase/extracellular signal-regulated kinase (ERK) 1/2 activation. Coexpression of beta1AR and ERbeta activated NNK-mediated ERK1/2 cooperatively. ERbeta gene knockdown, as well as coexpression of the dominant negative Ras and Raf, reduced stimulation of ERK1/2 by NNK. Whereas NNK phosphorylated Akt at Thr(308) and Ser(473), ERbeta had no effect on this activity. Luciferase reporter assays showed that, in response to NNK, ERbeta stimulated transcription of serum responsive element (SRE) but had a very small effect on the activity of estrogen responsive element (ERE). Together, the phosphorylation of ERbeta, the dependence on Galphai proteins, the activation of ERK1/2, and the preferential targeting of SRE over the classic ERE pathway support a role for nongenomic ERbeta in the development of smoking-associated lung cancer. This novel cooperation between beta1AR and ERbeta signaling may contribute to the prominence of lung adenocarcinoma in women.

Prenatal nicotine exposure alters glycinergic and GABAergic control of respiratory frequency in the neonatal rat brainstem-spinal cord preparation

Bath application of GABA-A receptor agonists in neonatal rat brainstem-spinal cord preparations (BSSC) reduces respiratory frequency, an effect that is enhanced by prenatal nicotine exposure. Here we test the hypothesis that these effects can be reproduced by microinjection of GABAergic and glycinergic agonists into the pre-Botzinger complex region (PBC). We recorded the activity of phrenic motor axons from the fourth cervical ventral root in 1-3 days old BSSC that were exposed to either nicotine (6 mg/(kg day)) or saline prenatally. Microinjection of glycine or muscimol into the PBC caused abrupt, reversible apnea in all experiments. Apnea duration with glycine averaged 50.3+/-5 s in saline-exposed (N=12), and 95.7+/-9.9 s in nicotine-exposed (N=12) neonates (P<0.001). Apnea duration with muscimol averaged 51+/-5.1 s in saline-exposed (N=10), and 86+/-10.6 s in nicotine-exposed (N=12) neonates (P<0.05). These data show that prenatal nicotine exposure alters development of central ventilatory control, and that neurons in the PBC region are involved.

Effects of an aging vascular model on healthy and diseased hearts

The vitamin D(3) and nicotine (VDN) model is a model of isolated systolic hypertension (ISH) due to arterial calcification raising arterial stiffness and vascular impedance similar to an aged and stiffened arterial tree. We therefore analyzed the impact of this aging model on normal and diseased hearts with myocardial infarction (MI). Wistar rats were treated with VDN (n = 9), subjected to MI by coronary ligation (n = 10), or subjected to a combination of both MI and VDN treatment (VDN/MI, n = 14). A sham-treated group served as control (Ctrl, n = 10). Transthoracic echocardiography was performed every 2 wk, whereas invasive indexes were obtained at week 8 before death. Calcium, collagen, and protein contents were measured in the heart and the aorta. Systolic blood pressure, pulse pressure, thoracic aortic calcium, and end-systolic elastance as an index of myocardial contractility were highest in the aging model group compared with MI and Ctrl groups (P(VDN) < 0.05, 2-way ANOVA). Left ventricular wall stress and brain natriuretic peptide (P(VDNxMI) = not significant) were highest, while ejection fraction, stroke volume, and cardiac output were lowest in the combined group versus all other groups (P(VDNxMI) < 0.05). The combination of ISH due to this aging model and MI demonstrates significant alterations in cardiac function. This model mimics several clinical phenomena of cardiovascular aging and may thus serve to further study novel therapies.

Social factors, psychopathology, and maternal smoking during pregnancy

We investigated the relative importance of sociodemographic factors and psychiatric disorders for smoking among 453 pregnant women in the National Epidemiological Survey on Alcohol and Related Conditions. Women with less than a high school education and those with current-year nicotine dependence had the highest risk of smoking (90.5%), compared with women with a college degree and without nicotine dependence (3.9%). More effective and accessible interventions for nicotine dependence among pregnant smokers are needed.

[Strategies and methods for research on sex- and gender-differences in the rat and human brain]

Strategies and methods for experiments on sex and gender-differences in the rat and human brain are discussed taking our experiments as examples. As sex differences that should be biologically present in "the old brain", control mechanism for the GnRH secretion in the rat, nicotine effects on pulsatile LH secretion in the human and feeding behavior in the rat are mentioned. Then, the absence of sex-difference in the spatial learning memory in the rat that has been fed soft diet, instead of ordinary hard diet, and also the absence of sex-difference in the overall cognitive function in the aged human, in accordance with our concept that gender-differences are produced in response to environmental stimuli in "the new brain", are mentioned.

Smoking expectancies for flavored and non-flavored cigarettes among college students

Several tobacco companies have introduced specially flavored cigarettes, yet little is known about their appeal among college student nonsmokers, regular smokers, and those susceptible to smoking. Undergraduates (N=424) rated 12 brands of cigarettes on multiple attributes based on manufacturer advertisements. This paper focused on two brands with flavored and non-flavored versions (Camel and Salem). Despite brand, regular smokers and those susceptible to smoking initiation had higher positive expectancies and lower negative expectancies about smoking than nonsmokers. Flavored cigarettes elicited higher positive expectancies than non-flavored counterparts across all groups, including nonsmokers. Indeed, the degree to which flavored Camels had higher positive expectancies than Camel Lights was at least as large in a group of susceptible nonsmokers and experimenters (susceptible/experimenters). Despite being present in nonsmokers and susceptible/experimenters, negative expectancies were significantly lower for flavored versus non-flavored brands. Logistic regressions revealed that positive expectancies predicted "intention to try" each brand for regular smokers and susceptible/experimenters. These findings suggest that targeting the marketing of positive attributes may be useful in preventing smoking behavior.