Increased expression of CRF and CRF-receptors in dorsal striatum, hippocampus, and prefrontal cortex after the development of nicotine sensitization in rats

Nicotine addiction supports tobacco smoking, a main preventable cause of disease and death in Western countries. It develops through long-term neuroadaptations in the brain reward circuit by modulating intracellular pathways and regulating gene expression. This study assesses the regional expression of the transcripts of the CRF transmission in a nicotine sensitization model, since it is hypothesised that the molecular neuroadaptations that mediate the development of sensitization contribute to the development of addiction.