94% of researchers rate our articles as excellent or good
Learn more about the work of our research integrity team to safeguard the quality of each article we publish.
Find out more
REVIEW article
Front. Aging Neurosci.
Sec. Parkinson’s Disease and Aging-related Movement Disorders
Volume 17 - 2025 | doi: 10.3389/fnagi.2025.1535310
This article is part of the Research Topic Genetic Underpinnings of Alzheimer's and Parkinson's: Insights and Innovations View all 3 articles
Significance of Nicotine and nicotinic acetylcholine receptors in Parkinson's disease
Provisionally accepted- 1 Department of Neurology, First People's Hospital of Tianshui, Tianshui 741000, Gansu Province, China
- 2 Gansu University of Chinese Medicie, lanzhou 730000，Gansu Province, China
Parkinson's disease (PD) is a multifaceted neurodegenerative disorder characterized by the degeneration of dopaminergic neurons in the substantia nigra and the aggregation of α-synuclein. According to epidemiological data, PD is the second most prevalent neurodegenerative disorder after Alzheimer's disease (AD) and has emerged as a significant global health concern. This review examines the intricate pathological mechanisms and high-risk factors associated with PD, and discusses the challenges in its clinical diagnosis and treatment. We elucidate the relationship between smoking and the reduced risk of PD, highlighting the potential neuroprotective effects of nicotine present in tobacco. The interaction between nicotine and nicotinic acetylcholine receptors (nAChRs) is analyzed in detail, emphasizing their neuroprotective capabilities and underlying molecular mechanisms. Furthermore, we analyze the structural and functional diversity of nAChRs and their roles in the pathological progression of PD. Our review aims to elucidate the complex interplay of genetic, environmental, and biochemical factors in PD and to propose future research directions that may facilitate therapeutic development.
Keywords: Parkinson's disease (PD), neurodegeneration, Nicotine, nicotinic acetylcholine receptors, α-Synuclein
Received: 27 Nov 2024; Accepted: 06 Mar 2025.
Copyright: © 2025 Lin, Li, Pu, Dong and Zhang. 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.
* Correspondence:
Qinghua Zhang, Department of Neurology, First People's Hospital of Tianshui, Tianshui 741000, Gansu Province, China
Disclaimer: All claims expressed in this article are solely those of the authors and do not necessarily represent those of their affiliated organizations, or those of the publisher, the editors and the reviewers. Any product that may be evaluated in this article or claim that may be made by its manufacturer is not guaranteed or endorsed by the publisher.