Nicotine

Category: stimulant

Pharmacological Mechanism

nicotinic ach receptor pharmacology agonist (α4β2, α7); releases acetylcholine, dopamine, norepinephrine.

Half-Life (t½)

PO: 4.3h, SL: 2h, TD: 4.5h, INH: 4.3h

Dosing Guidelines

• PO: Typical 2 (Range: 1–4)
• SL: Typical 2 (Range: 1–4)
• TD: Typical 14 (Range: 7–21)
• INH: Typical 1 (Range: 0.5–2)

Target Organ Systems

• nervous

Notes

High addiction liability. Avoid nightly use.

Pathways It Modulates

• Acetylcholine synthesis + degradation (activator) — nicotinic acetylcholine receptors (full agonist)
• Nicotine metabolism (substrate) — CYP2A6 step
• Nicotinic ACh receptor pharmacology (activator) — α4β2 + α7 (full agonist; rapid desensitization)

Chemical Identifiers

• PubChem CID: 89594
• Formula: C10H14N2
• Molecular weight: 162.23 g/mol
• InChIKey: SNICXCGAKADSCV-JTQLQIEISA-N
• SMILES: CN1CCC[C@H]1C2=CN=CC=C2

References

• PMID 19184644
• PMID 9882698