The effects of acetaldehyde on nicotine-induced transmitter levels in young and adult brain areas

In general, six areas showed some increase and four showed decrease in the young versus one showing increase and thirteen showing decrease in the adult. Clearly the effects of acetaldehyde in young animals are different from those in adult animals. Because acetaldehyde did not induce elevated DA levels in the NAccS of the young, we believe that the higher reward in the young caused by acetaldehyde is not likely due to DA changes in the accumbens. The increase of NE and 5-HT in the brain areas of the young only raises the possibility that they may play an important role in reward in some cases when DA in the accumbens does not. Areas involved in cognitive mechanisms and a number of transmitters seem to play a role in reward stimulation.