Platelet monoamine oxidase, smoking cessation, and tobacco withdrawal symptoms.

What Was Tested

Researchers studied Mecamylamine and Neostigmine in this clinical trial publication.

This enzyme is important in the breakdown of the amine neurotransmitters, including dopamine, which is thought to mediate the reinforcing effects of nicotine and contribute to tobacco dependence.

To further examine the relationship between cigarette smoking, smoking cessation and MAO, the researchers measured platelet MAO-B activity in 16 smokers before and after being switched to smoking denicotinized cigarettes; in a subset of six subjects who subsequently quit-smoking, MAO-B activity was also measured at 1 and 4 weeks following cessation.

Who Took Part

PubMed indexes the participants as adults, both men and women.

How the Study Was Run

In design terms this was an open-label study.

Everyone knew when Mecamylamine was being given (open label), which is simpler to run but leaves more room for expectations to affect what is reported.

What Was Measured

To further examine the relationship between cigarette smoking, smoking cessation and MAO, the researchers measured platelet MAO-B activity in 16 smokers before and after being switched to smoking denicotinized cigarettes; in a subset of six subjects who subsequently quit-smoking, MAO-B activity was also measured at 1 and 4 weeks following cessation.

The subject headings attached to it are Administration, Cutaneous, Mecamylamine, Monoamine Oxidase, Neostigmine, Nicotine, Nicotinic Antagonists and Parasympathomimetics.

What This Means in Plain Language

The paper is an open-label study of Mecamylamine and Neostigmine.

The publication is from 2001 (Nicotine & tobacco research : official journal of the Society for Research on Nicotine and Tobacco), a journal based in England.

More context: all human trials.