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. Author manuscript; available in PMC: 2015 Jan 1.
Published in final edited form as: Neuropharmacology. 2013 May 17;76(0 0):10.1016/j.neuropharm.2013.04.055. doi: 10.1016/j.neuropharm.2013.04.055

Fig. 5. Hypothesized mechanisms mediating nicotine use in females.

Fig. 5

The rewarding effects of nicotine are mediated via enhanced dopamine transmission in the NAcc. The dopamine terminals in this region are under inhibitory control via GABA interneurons that have estrogen receptors on them. Estrogen receptor activation is postulated to reduce GABA inhibition of dopamine, producing a greater increase in NAcc dopamine following nicotine administration. During nicotine withdrawal, dopamine levels in the NAcc are decreased, an effect that is hypothesized to be related to enhanced GABA release in this region. We hypothesize that female rats will display a greater suppression of dopamine that is modulated via CRF systems in this region. Thus, sex differences are related to overactive CRF systems that modulate dopamine release in the NAcc.