Itching to quit? Experts know why

Scientists think they have discovered why people trying to quit smoking often find they are itching to stop.

Belgian researchers studying the effect of nicotine in mice found that it activates a molecular pathway in membranes in the skin, nose and mouth known to play a role in inflammation.

This may explain why nicotine patches and other nicotine replacement therapies can make people itch, they say in a study published in Nature, and could help in developing treatments to help people quit smoking with fewer irritating side effects.

Karel Talavera of the Leuven Catholic University in Belgium found that in mice, nicotine directly activates TRPA1, a pathway or channel in cells known to convey information about irritating substances and inflammatory pain.

They also found that mice lacking TRPA1 showed no irritation when nicotine was put into their noses.

Reuters-DPA