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. 2014 Jun 6;5:553. doi: 10.3389/fpsyg.2014.00553

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Copyright © 2014 McFadden, Cornier and Tregellas.

This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (CC BY). The use, distribution or reproduction in other forums is permitted, provided the original author(s) or licensor are credited and that the original publication in this journal is cited, in accordance with accepted academic practice. No use, distribution or reproduction is permitted which does not comply with these terms.

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Effects of α7nAChR stimulation on hypothalamic neuropeptide and neurotransmitter release. Although there are complex interactions among pathways, it is hypothesized that the net effect of α7nAChR stimulation leads to reduced food intake. Inhibitory effects are indicated with a minus sign, while excitatory effects are indicated with a plus sign. Note that both inhibitory and excitatory effects of α7nAChR stimulation have been observed on NPY. While appetite effects of dopamine elsewhere in the brain are mixed, studies suggest that hypothalamic dopamine release contributes to appetite inhibition. α7nAChR, α7 nicotinic acetylcholine receptor; GABA, gamma aminobutyric acid; NPY, neuropeptide Y; POMC, proopiomelanocortin; 5-HT, serotonin; Glu, glutamate; MCH, melanin-concentrating hormone; DA, dopamine.