α3ß4 nicotinic receptors in the medial habenula and substance P transmission in the interpeduncular nucleus modulate nicotine sensitization.

The medial habenula-interpeduncular nucleus (MHb-IPN) pathway has recently been shown to modulate multiple effects nicotine in vivo, however it remains unclear which receptor subtypes in this pathway are critical for mediating these responses. To identify MHb and IPN receptors that play a role in nicotine reward, we studied receptors prevalent in these nuclei, including nicotinic acetylcholine receptors (nAChRs) and the receptor for substance P (neuokinin-1; NK1 receptor) using a model of behavioral and neurochemical sensitization to nicotine. Our results show that blockade of the α3ß4 nAChR in the MHb, but not the IPN prevented increases in locomotor responding as well as increases in accumbal dopamine overflow in sensitized animals. Additionally, when NK1 receptors were blocked in the IPN, but not the MHb, a similar effect on sensitized responding was seen. Together, these results suggest that the MHb and IPN differentially modulate nicotine sensitization. Because the neurotransmission within these brain regions is primarily cholinergic and substance P ergic and these receptors are expressed in high density in both nuclei, these results could suggest a different neurophysiological signaling role or different neuroanatomical location of these receptors in this pathway. Furthermore, while α3ß4 nAChRs have been suggested as a possible pharmacological target for nicotine addiction, this is the first evidence that substance P also plays a role in mediating responding to nicotine.

18-Methoxycoronaridine acts in the medial habenula to attenuate behavioral and neurochemical sensitization to nicotine.

Systemic 18-methoxycoronaridine, an alpha3beta4 nicotinic antagonist, slows the rate of induction of behavioral sensitization to nicotine (Glick et al., 1996; 2011). The primary mechanism of action of 18-MC is believed to be the inhibition of α3ß4 nicotinic acetylcholine receptors which are densely expressed in the medial habenula and interpeduncular nucleus (Pace et al., 2004; Glick et al., 2012). Recently, these habenular nicotinic receptors and their multiple roles in nicotine aversion and withdrawal have been increasingly emphasized (Antolin-Fontes et al., 2015). Here, we investigated the effects of 18-MC on both behavioral and neurochemical sensitization to nicotine. Daily systemic administration of 18-MC slowed the rate of induction of behavioral sensitization to nicotine but failed to block the expression of a sensitized locomotor response when absent. In contrast, in nicotine sensitized animals, systemic 18-MC significantly reduced the expression of behavioral sensitization. Results from intra-habenular administration of 18-MC paralleled these findings in that the expression of behavioral sensitization was also reduced in sensitized animals. Consistent with its effects on behavioral sensitization, intra-MHb treatment with 18-MC completely abolished sensitized dopamine responses in the nucleus accumbens in nicotine sensitized animals. These results show that α3ß4 nicotinic receptors in the MHb contribute to nicotine sensitization, a phenomenon associated with drug craving and relapse.