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Persistent cognitive and affective alterations at late withdrawal stages after long-term intermittent exposure to tobacco smoke or electronic cigarette vapour: Behavioural changes and their neurochemical correlates.

Authors :
Ponzoni L
Braida D
Carboni L
Moretti M
Viani P
Clementi F
Zoli M
Gotti C
Sala M
Source :
Pharmacological research [Pharmacol Res] 2020 Aug; Vol. 158, pp. 104941. Date of Electronic Publication: 2020 May 23.
Publication Year :
2020

Abstract

Smoking cessation induces a withdrawal syndrome associated with anxiety, depression, and impaired neurocognitive functions, but much less is known about the withdrawal of e-cigarettes (e-CIG). We investigated in Balb/c mice the behavioural and neurochemical effects of withdrawal for up to 90 days after seven weeks' intermittent exposure to e-CIG vapour or cigarette smoke (CIG). The withdrawal of e-CIG and CIG induced early behavioural alterations such as spatial memory deficits (spatial object recognition task), increased anxiety (elevated plus maze test) and compulsive-like behaviour (marble burying test) that persisted for 60-90 days. Notably, attention-related (virtual object recognition task) and depression-like behaviours (tail suspension and sucrose preference tests) appeared only 15-30 days after withdrawal and persisted for as long as up to 90 days. At hippocampal level, the withdrawal-induced changes in the levels of AMPA receptor GluA1 and GluA2/3 subunits, PSD 95 protein, corticotropin-releasing factor (Crf) and Crf receptor 1 (CrfR1) mRNA were biphasic: AMPA receptor subunit and PSD95 protein levels initially remained unchanged and decreased after 60-90 days, whereas Crf/CrfR1 mRNA levels initially increased and then markedly decreased after 60 days. These late reductions correlated with the behavioural impairments, particularly the appearance of depression-like behaviours. Our findings show that major behavioural and neurochemical alterations persist or even first appear late after the withdrawal of chronic CIG smoke or e-CIG vapour exposure, and underline importance of conducting similar studies of humans, including e-CIG vapers.<br />Competing Interests: Declaration of Competing Interest The authors declare no competing financial interest<br /> (Copyright © 2020 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

Details

Language :
English
ISSN :
1096-1186
Volume :
158
Database :
MEDLINE
Journal :
Pharmacological research
Publication Type :
Academic Journal
Accession number :
32450347
Full Text :
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.phrs.2020.104941