• Log in with Facebook Log in with Twitter Log In with Google      Sign In    
  • Create Account
  LongeCity
              Advocacy & Research for Unlimited Lifespans

Photo
- - - - -

Nicotine for neuroplasticity (two types?)

nicotine neuroplasticity plasticity

  • Please log in to reply
5 replies to this topic

#1 pi-

  • Guest
  • 73 posts
  • 5
  • Location:Oxford, England

Posted 09 August 2014 - 12:44 PM


I have read that nicotine promotes neuroplasticity.

 

Can anyone explain how this works?  Also I have heard that there are two variants, and one of them is better to use than the other.

 

Could anyone explain this?

 

pi

 

PS I have been looking through http://www.ncbi.nlm....cles/PMC3387538 which may contain the answer to this enquiry, only I don't understand enough of the technical language to figure it out. Can anyone help?

 

Lynx1 protein directly binds to nAChRs (Nicotinic acetylcholine receptors)  [...] to reduce their sensitivity to ACh (acetylcholine).

 

Ergo nAChRs of lynx1-knockout mice should retain high sensitivity to ACh, and this increased signalling extends the plasticity window.

 

Dramatically, lynx1 knockout mice spontaneously recovered visual acuity to normal levels simply by reopening the closed eye [...]. Given the cholinergic basis of this plasticity, we further attempted to induce recovery even in adult wild-type mice by enhancing endogenous ACh signaling. Injection of an acetylcholinesterase inhibitor, physostigmine, during the period of eye re-opening similarly restored vision to wild-type mice initially rendered amblyopic.

 

Slightly off topic, but this is saying that AChEi restores plasticity.

 

We did not observe structural changes at the level of perineuronal nets or myelination in lynx1 knockout mice

 

ok, lynx1-knockout seems to be a separate plasticity mechanism.

 

But now I am stuck...



#2 medicineman

  • Guest
  • 750 posts
  • 125
  • Location:Kuwait

Posted 09 August 2014 - 01:22 PM

nicotine is also an hdac inhibitor. I bet you would find that fact interesting. now, I'm not sure if it is to any significant level in human use concentrations

sponsored ad

  • Advert
Click HERE to rent this advertising spot for BRAIN HEALTH to support LongeCity (this will replace the google ad above).

#3 Metagene

  • Guest
  • 674 posts
  • 78
  • Location:Florida
  • NO

Posted 09 August 2014 - 01:25 PM

I'm looking at this p.16-22 http://classes.biolo... Lecture13S.pdf



#4 pi-

  • Topic Starter
  • Guest
  • 73 posts
  • 5
  • Location:Oxford, England

Posted 09 August 2014 - 02:39 PM

Good find Metagene! I wish all papers got written up with such succinctness and clarity.

 

So to quote the conclusion from that Page:

 

Nicotinic signaling mediates plasticity during postnatal development in visual system pathways. Lynx1 is then expressed to repress nicotinic signaling and prevent further plasticity after this developmental phase, thereby locking in the pathways for reliable and stable function in the adult.


This can be reversed, however, either by removing lynx1 or by increasing the availability of ACh which apparently overcomes the lynx1 blockade of nAChR.

 

However, nowhere does it suggest that putting nicotine into your system promotes plasticity.

 

It does suggest using AChEi to increase levels of ACh (which I'm asking about on this thread here: http://www.longecity...uroplasticity/)

 

but is there any benefit of taking nicotine to promote plasticity?



#5 Nemo888

  • Guest
  • 214 posts
  • 71
  • Location:Ottawa

Posted 09 August 2014 - 06:48 PM

The other question is if the plasticity is beneficial. Amphetamines and cocaine are also neuroplastic compounds that cause growth. This affect is likely a major cause of the chemical dependency.
  • Informative x 1

sponsored ad

  • Advert
Click HERE to rent this advertising spot for BRAIN HEALTH to support LongeCity (this will replace the google ad above).

#6 Nemo888

  • Guest
  • 214 posts
  • 71
  • Location:Ottawa

Posted 09 August 2014 - 07:18 PM

Double post

Edited by Nemo888, 09 August 2014 - 07:19 PM.






Also tagged with one or more of these keywords: nicotine, neuroplasticity, plasticity

0 user(s) are reading this topic

0 members, 0 guests, 0 anonymous users