Acute effects of inhaled menthol on the rewarding effects of intravenous nicotine in smokers

Introduction:
This text provides an in-depth analysis of a study examining the effects of menthol on the subjective and withdrawal-alleviating effects of intravenous nicotine in smokers. The study aims to understand how menthol inhalation from electronic cigarettes changes the rewarding effects of nicotine in young adult smokers. The study's design includes a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled experiment, utilizing a precisely dosed intravenous nicotine administration and inhaled menthol from an electronic cigarette.

Key Points:

* The study involved 32 menthol-preferring smokers and 25 non-menthol-preferring smokers.
* Menthol did not alter the positive subjective effects of nicotine but enhanced aversive effects of nicotine in non-menthol-preferring smokers and reduced smoking urges in menthol-preferring smokers.
* Menthol-preferring smokers reported blunted positive subjective responses to nicotine and less severe nicotine withdrawal after overnight nicotine deprivation.
* Compared to non-menthol-preferring smokers, menthol-preferring smokers had a significantly lower baseline nicotine metabolite ratio, indicating slower nicotine metabolism within the sample of menthol-preferring smokers.
* The study used a human laboratory method that combines concurrent intravenous nicotine and inhaled menthol to measure the interactive effects.
* The primary hypotheses tested were whether concurrent menthol and nicotine administration would lead to greater self-reported positive drug effects and if the enhancement of nicotine's positive subjective effects by menthol would be greater in menthol-preferring smokers.
* The positive drug effects were operationalized by the good effects factor of the Drug Effects Questionnaire (DEQ).

Main Message:
The study's main message is that menthol inhalation from electronic cigarettes does not enhance nicotine's positive subjective effects. However, menthol does alter the subjective effects of nicotine in a complex and nuanced manner. Menthol-preferring smokers experience blunted positive subjective responses to nicotine and reduced overnight withdrawal severity, which may be partly due to inhibition of nicotine metabolism from chronic exposure to inhaled menthol. These findings highlight the need for further research to understand the role of menthol in tobacco use behavior and its potential implications for tobacco regulation and public health.

Valentine, Gerald W, Elise E DeVito, Peter I Jatlow, Ralitza Gueorguieva, and Mehmet Sofuoglu. “Acute Effects of Inhaled Menthol on the Rewarding Effects of Intravenous Nicotine in Smokers.” Journal of Psychopharmacology 32, no. 9 (September 2018): 986–94. https://doi.org/10.1177/0269881118773972.