The researchers also looked at de-nicotinized cigarettes, which contain only a trace amount of nicotine. They found that even the smallest amount of nicotine in a person's system will activate a significant percentage of receptors in the brain making light cigarettes addictive and tough to quit.
When nerve cells communicate, nerve impulses get transferred across gaps between cells called synapses through neurotransmitters. The neurotransmitters then get attached to receptor sites on nerve cells which in this case is acetylcholine. It results in the release of a pleasure-inducing chemical called dopamine. Nicotine mimics acetylcholine, but it lasts longer, releasing more dopamine, researchers said.
The study, published in the online edition of the International Journal of Neuropsychopharmacology, found low-nicotine cigarettes function almost the same as regular cigarettes in terms of brain nicotine-receptor occupancy.
