Cytisine

Cytisine is a type of alkaloid that is naturally occurring and is found in several plant genera such as Laburnum and Cytisus. It has been used as a smoking cessation treatment due to its structural and functional similarities to nicotine.

History

Cytisine was first isolated in 1865 by a German chemist named Adolf Pinner. He discovered it in the seeds of the Laburnum anagyroides plant, also known as the golden chain tree. The chemical structure of cytisine was determined in the early 20th century.

Medical Uses

Cytisine has been used as a smoking cessation treatment in Central and Eastern Europe for more than 50 years. It works by binding to the nicotinic acetylcholine receptor, which is the same receptor that nicotine binds to. This helps to reduce the craving for nicotine and the severity of withdrawal symptoms.

Side Effects

Common side effects of cytisine include nausea, abdominal pain, and dry mouth. In rare cases, it can cause more serious side effects such as heart palpitations, insomnia, and dyspnea.

Pharmacology

Cytisine is a partial agonist of the α4β2 nicotinic acetylcholine receptor, the subtype of nicotinic receptor that is most abundant in the brain and is the primary biological target of nicotine. By acting as a partial agonist, cytisine can both activate the receptor to produce a response and block the receptor to prevent it from being activated by other substances.

See Also

• Nicotinic acetylcholine receptor
• Smoking cessation
• Alkaloid

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