Certain flavorings used in electronic cigarette liquids may alter important cellular functions in lung tissue, according to new research presented at this year’s American Thoracic Society International Conference. Researcher Temperance Rowell, from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, said the observed changes in cell viability, cell proliferation, and calcium signaling was flavor-dependent. “The […]
Despite the fact that nicotine insecticides were banned in 2009, European researchers say that high concentrations of nicotine are still detected in many plants. The journalAgronomy for Sustainable Development now reports that passive smoking and contaminated soils could be to blame for high levels of nicotine found in spices, herbal teas, and medicinal plants. Lead […]
Nicotine creates heritable epigenetic marks on the genome, say Los Angeles Biomedical Research Institute scientists who contend that a grandparent’s smoking habits may be responsible for asthma and other respiratory conditions in grandchildren. Their controversial take onepigenetics (where an environmental factor causes a genetic change), appearing in the Review of Obstetrics & Gynecology, further suggests […]
Internet addiction has a physiological basis, according to German researchers who say a variant of the nicotinic acetylcholine receptor makes women particularly vulnerable. The researchers, from the University of Bonn, first carried out an analysis of the Internet-related behaviors and habits of a group of nearly 1,000 men and women. Specifically, they looked at how […]
Older people may benefit from the regular use of nicotine patches, according to a study that showed improvements in memory and brain function in a group of senior non-smokers who were suffering memory and thinking impairments. Published in the journal Neurology, the study examined the effects of nicotine in seniors with mild cognitive impairment (MCI) […]
Scientists say that the nicotine receptors in the brain play an important role in social interactions and the ability to choose between competing motivations. Writing in the FASEB Journal, the French researchers explain how the nicotinic receptors in the prefrontal cortex are essential for social interaction in mice and that this area of the brain […]
Bees prefer nectar containing nicotine and caffeine over nectar without these substances and researchers from the University of Haifa think this could be an evolutionary development intended, as in humans, to make the bee addicted. Researcher Ido Izhaki explained that flower nectar is primarily comprised of sugars, which provide energy for the potential pollinators. But […]
It isn’t just humans that have problems with nicotine. Researchers from the Max Planck Institute for Chemical Ecology have found that certain plants use nicotine to increase the number of visits by birds and other pollinators, thus spreading their pollen more effectively and increasing their own genetic diversity. The findings appear in The Plant Journal. […]
