Abstract
The effect of corticosteroids upon the cortisol response to nicotine from smoking was investigated in five heavy smokers. Corticosteroid activity was manipulated by administering dexamethasone, a synthetic glucocortoicoid (1 mg orally, 14 h before), in a doubleblind, placebo-controlled procedure. Testing took place in the middle of the day and involved the smoking of two high-nicotine (2.87 mg) research cigarettes over a 15-min period. The dexamethasone condition was characterized by a pronounced suppression of baseline plasma cortisol, as expected, and by a significant dampening of the cortisol response to nicotine, indicating diminished sensitivity to nicotine under conditions of enhanced corticosteroid activity.
This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.
References
Brenner T, Mizrachi R, Bodoff M, Weidenfeld J (1986) Evidence that nicotinic-acetylcholine receptors are involved in the modulation of basal and stress-induced adrenocortical responses. Exp Neurol 94:735–743
Cam GR, Bassett JR, Cairncross KD (1979) The action of nicotine on the pituitary-adrenal cortical axis. Arch Int Pharmacodyn 237:49–66
Carroll B (1978) Neuroendocrine function in psychiatric disorders. In: Lipton MA, DiMascio A, Killam KF (eds) Psychopharmacology: a generation of progress. Raven Press, New York, pp 487–495
Chiodera L, Camellini G, Rossi G, Maffei ML, Volpi R, Coiro V (1984) Effects of clonidine on ACTH and cortisol release induced by cigarette smoking in man. Horm Metab Res 16:501–502
Conte-Devolx B, Oliver C, Giraud P, Guillioz P, Castanas E, Lissistzky JC, Boudouresque F, Millet Y (1981) Effect of nicotine on in vivo secretion of melanocorticotropic hormones in the rat. Life Sci 28:1067–1073
Cryer PE, Haymond MW, Santiago JV, Shah SD (1976) Norepinephrine and epinephrine release and adrenergic mediation of smoking-associated hemodynamic and metabolic events. N Engl J Med 295:573–577
De Kloet ER, Ratka A, Reul JM, Sutanto W, Van Eekelen JAM (1987) Corticosteroid receptor types in brain: regulation and putative function. In: Ganong WF, Dallman MF, Roberts JL (eds) The hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis revisited. New York Academy of Sciences, New York, pp 351–361
Freund RK, Martin BJ, Jungschaffer DA, Ullman EA, Collins AC (1988) Genetic differences in plasma corticosterone levels in response to nicotine injection. Pharmacol Biochem Behav 30:1059–1064
Hillhouse EW, Burden I, Jones MT (1975) The effect of various putative neurotransmitters on the secretion of corticotropin-releasing hormones from the rat hypothalamus in vitro — a model of the neurotransmitters involved. J Endocrinol 69:1–10
Martin JB, Reichlin S (1987) Clinical neuroendocrinology, 2nd edn. Davis, Philadelphia, pp 159–176
Marty M, Erwin V, Cornell K, Zgombick J (1985) Effects of nicotine on beta-endorphin, alpha-MSH, and ACTH secretion by isolated perfused mouse brain and pituitary glands, in vitro. Pharmacol Biochem Behav 22:317–325
Pauly JR, Ullman EA, Collins AC (1988) Adrenocortical hormone regulation of nicotine sensitivity in mice. Physiol Behav 44:109–116
Pomerleau OF, Pomerleau CS (1988) Neuroendocrine response to nicotine on cigarette smokers. In: Rand MJ, Thurau K (eds) International symposium on nicotine. ICSU Press, Florida, pp 321–335
Pomerleau OF, Pomerleau CS (1989) Biobehavioral studies in humans: anxiety, stress, and smoking. In: Bock G, Marsh J (eds) The biology of nicotine dependence [CIBA Foundation Symposium 152]. Wiley, Chichester, UK (in press)
Rubin RP, Warner W (1975) Nicotine-induced stimulation of steroidogenesis in adrenocortical cells of the cat. Br J Pharmacol 53:357–362
Seyler LE, Fertig JB, Pomerleau OF, Hunt D, Parker K (1984) The effects of smoking on ACTH and cortisol secretion. Life Sci 34:57–65
Weidenfeld J, Siegel R, Conforti N, Mizrachi R, Brenner T (1983) Effect of intracerebroventricular injections of nicotinic acetylcholine receptor antibodies on ACTH, corticosterone and prolacticin secretion in the male rat. Brain Res 265:152–156
Wilkins JN, Carson HE, van Vunakis H, Hill MA, Gritz E, Jarvik ME (1982) Nicotine from cigarette smoking increases circulating levels of cortisol, growth hormone, and prolactin in male chronic smokers. Psychopharmacology 78:305–308
Winternitz WW, Quillen D (1977) Acute hormonal responses to cigarette smoking. J Clin Pharmacol 17:389–397
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Pomerleau, O.F., Pomerleau, C.S. Dexamethasone attenuation of the cortisol response to nicotine in smokers. Psychopharmacology 101, 284–286 (1990). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF02244142
Received:
Revised:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF02244142