[Bupropion: risks and advantages of its use. What preclinical research says].

There is evidence that nicotine, the major constituent of cigarette smoking, leads to addiction. Although a high percent of smokers express the desire to quit, only a small percentage of them are successful in achieving sustained abstinence. Until recently, pharmacological options for treatment of tobacco dependence were primarily limited to the various nicotine replacement therapies. Bupropion provides clinicians and patients with a new non-nicotine alternative. The mechanisms by which bupropion acts as an aid in smoking cessation are unknown. This article is a review of the few explanations taken from the literature, to answer questions about the potential risks of the use of this atypical antidepressant.