Coffee and cigarettes: Modulation of high and low sensitivity α4β2 nicotinic acetylcholine receptors by n-MP, a biomarker of coffee consumption

Is it about substituting an addiction with another? development and initial psychometric properties of the first heated tobacco products addiction questionnaire (HeaTPAQ)

BACKGROUND

Public health experts currently agree that heated tobacco products (HTPs) pose a significant health risk for their consumers. The same concentrations and speed of delivery of nicotine found for HTPs and conventional combustion cigarettes make it necessary to consider the addictiveness of HTPs, and provide precise diagnostic instruments to serve as the basis for effective treatment plans. Therefore, the main objectives of this study were to design a questionnaire for HTPs addiction called "Heated Tobacco Products Addiction Questionnaire (HeaTPAQ)" and to examine its psychometric properties.

METHODS

Adults from the general population of Lebanon (n = 754) were administered the HeatPAQ, along with the Fagerström test for nicotine dependence (FTND), the Caffeine Use Disorder Questionnaire, the Generalized Anxiety Disorder 7-item, and the Patient Health Questionnaire-9. We split the main sample into two subsamples; subsample 1 consisting of 33% of the participants used for the exploratory factor analysis (EFA) (n = 246; mean age 27.82 ± 9.38 years) and subsample 2 consisting of 67% of the participants used for the confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) (n = 508; mean age 27.81 ± 8.80 years).

RESULTS

EFA then CFA analyses revealed a one-factor model consisting of 13 items with acceptable fit to the data. The HeaTPAQ reached excellent internal consistency coefficients, with both Cronbach's α and McDonald's ω values of 0.96. The one-dimensional structure of the HeaTPAQ was found to be invariant across sex groups. Convergent validity was demonstrated through significant positive correlation with FTND scores. Furthermore, HeaTPAQ scores correlated positively with measures of caffeine addiction, anxiety and depression, which suggests the adequate concurrent validity of the scale.

CONCLUSION

Findings suggest that the HeatPAQ is a specific, short and simple-to-use self-report questionnaire to assess HTPs addiction reliably and validly. Pending future studies confirming our results, we hope that the HeatPAQ will facilitate routine screening for HTPs addiction, which is an essential step towards appropriate prevention and intervention efforts and to inform policy makers.

Foods and beverages associated with smoking craving in heated tobacco product and cigarette smokers: A cross-sectional study

INTRODUCTION

Certain foods and beverages are associated with smoking craving. However, only few studies have explored the relationship between food or beverage-related and taste-associated smoking craving. In this study, we aimed to identify the types of foods related to smoking craving in Japanese individuals who smoke cigarettes or heated tobacco products (HTPs).

METHODS

A total of 657 individuals (HTP and cigarette smokers and never smokers) participated in this cross-sectional study. Participants were asked what foods/beverages, tastes, seasonings, cooking methods, and cuisine categories, made them want to smoke and what foods they consumed.

RESULTS

Alcoholic beverages such as beer, coffee, and fat-rich foods were associated with a higher likelihood of smoking craving. Fruits, dairy products such as milk, and sweet and sour tastes, were associated with a lower likelihood of smoking craving. The daily intake of fruit and dairy products was significantly lower in cigarette and HTP smokers than in non-smokers (median fruit intake: non-smokers, 46.4 g/1000 kcal/day; cigarette smokers, 22.2 g/1000 kcal/day; HTP smokers, 31.4 g/1000 kcal/day; p<0.001; median dairy product intake: non-smokers, 76.3 g/day; cigarette smokers, 48.2 g/day; HTP smokers, 57.6 g/day; p<0.001) as assessed using a food frequency questionnaire (BDHQ).

CONCLUSIONS

Specific foods and beverages such as alcohol, fruits, and dairy products are related to smoking craving, and their intake differs according to smoking status.

Monitoring Caffeine Intake: The Relevance of Adequate Assessment in the Population

The present letter to editor comments on the manuscript "Bulczak EM, Chmurzyńska AU. Caffeine Consumption in Polish Adults: Development and Validation of a Polish Questionnaire for Assessing Caffeine Intake. J Am Nutr Assoc. 2023 Feb 1:1-7. doi:10.1080/27697061.2023.2172749. Epub ahead of print. PMID: 36725370." regarding adequate monitoring of the consumption of caffeine.

The many enigmas of nicotine

This review discusses the diverse effects of nicotine on the various nicotinic acetylcholine receptors of the central and peripheral nervous system and how those effects may promote the usage and addiction to tobacco products.

Silent agonists for α7 nicotinic acetylcholine receptors

We discuss models for the activation and desensitization of α7 nicotinic acetylcholine receptors (nAChRs) and the effects of efficacious type II positive allosteric modulators (PAMs) that destabilize α7 desensitized states. Type II PAMs such as PNU-120596 can be used to distinguish inactive compounds from silent agonists, compounds that produce little or no channel activation but stabilize the non-conducting conformations associated with desensitization. We discuss the effects of α7 nAChRs in cells of the immune system and their roles in modulating inflammation and pain through what has come to be known as the cholinergic anti-inflammatory system (CAS). Cells controlling CAS do not generate ion channel currents but rather respond to α7 drugs by modulating intracellular signaling pathways analogous to the effects of metabotropic receptors. Metabotropic signaling by α7 receptors appears to be mediated by receptors in nonconducting conformations and can be accomplished by silent agonists. We discuss electrophysiological structure-activity relationships for α7 silent agonists and their use in cell-based and in vivo assays for CAS regulation. We discuss the strongly desensitizing partial agonist GTS-21 and its effectiveness in modulation of CAS. We also review the properties of the silent agonist NS6740, which is remarkably effective at maintaining α7 receptors in PAM-sensitive desensitized states. Most silent agonists bind to sites overlapping those for orthosteric agonists, but some appear to bind to allosteric sites. Finally, we discuss α9^⁎ nAChRs and their potential role in CAS, and ligands that will be useful in defining and distinguishing the specific roles of α7 and α9 in CAS.

Insights Into the Differential Desensitization of α4β2 Nicotinic Acetylcholine Receptor Isoforms Obtained With Positive Allosteric Modulation of Mutant Receptors

The development of highly efficacious positive allosteric modulators (PAMs) of α7 nicotinic acetylcholine receptors (nAChR) has proven useful in defining the ligand dependence of the conformational dynamics of α7 receptors. No such effective modulators are known to exist for the α4β2 nAChR of the brain, limiting our ability to understand the importance of desensitization for the activity profile of specific ligands. In this study, we used mutant β2 subunits that allowed the use of the α7 PAM 3a,4,5,9b-tetrahydro-4-(1-naphthalenyl)-3H-cyclopentan[c]quinoline-8-sulfonamide (TQS) to probe the desensitizing effects of nicotinic ligands on the two forms of α4β2 receptors; high sensitivity (HS) (two α4 and three β2 subunits) and low sensitivity (LS) (three α4 and two β2 subunits). A total of 28 different ligands of 8 different categories, based on activity and selectivity, were tested for their ability to induce TQS-sensitive desensitization of HS and LS α4β2 receptors. Results confirm that HS α4β2 receptor responses are strongly limited by desensitization, by at least an order of magnitude more so than the responses of LS receptors. The activation of α4β2 receptors by the smoking-cessation drugs cytisine and varenicline is strongly limited by desensitization, as is the activation of LS receptors by the HS-selective agonists 6-[5-[(2S)-2-Azetidinylmethoxy]-3-pyridinyl]-5-hexyn-1-ol dihydrochloride and 4-(5-ethoxy-3-pyridinyl)-N-methyl-(3E)-3-buten-1-amine difumarate. The evaluation of drugs previously identified as α7-selective agonists revealed varying patterns of α4β2 cross-desensitization that were predictive of the effects of these drugs on the activation of wild-type α4β2 receptors by acetylcholine, supporting the utility of TQS-sensitive receptors for the development of focused therapeutics. SIGNIFICANCE STATEMENT: To varying degrees, ligands regulate the balance of active and desensitized states of the two forms of the primary nAChR subtypes in brain. Using mutant beta subunits, an allosteric modulator can reverse ligand-induced desensitization, revealing the differential desensitization of the receptors by specific ligands. This study shows that drugs believed to be selective for therapeutic targets may cross-desensitize other targets and that, within a class of drugs, improved specificity can be achieved by using agents that reduce such cross-desensitization.