Final answer:
Nicotine is capable of stimulating both sympathetic and parasympathetic autonomic cholinergic receptors, impacting the cardiovascular system by increasing blood pressure and potentially causing arrhythmias.
Step-by-step explanation:
Nicotinic receptors are found on all autonomic ganglia, and thus, nicotine is capable of stimulating both sympathetic and parasympathetic autonomic cholinergic receptors. Nicotine acts as an acetylcholine (ACh) analog at these synapses, binding to the nicotinic receptors and activating ganglionic neurons, causing depolarization. This response leads to the stimulation of both systems; however, it has a more pronounced effect on the sympathetic system when it comes to blood pressure, as the parasympathetic system has minimal influence over systemic vascular tone, which means nicotine can increase blood pressure. Furthermore, due to the specific autonomic regulation of the heart, nicotine's stimulatory action does not cancel out but rather may result in arrhythmias due to conflicting signals to the cardiac muscle.