Nicotine attenuates spatial learning deficits induced in the rat by perinatal lead exposure

Maternally lead (Pb)-exposed, juvenile rats exhibit significant deficits in spatial reference memory acquisition and working memory performance in the Morris water maze (MWM). Acute systemic application of nicotine reverses these deficits without affecting behavioral performance of the age-matched, lead-unexposed control animals. These results suggest that nicotinic agonist treatments can ameliorate learning and memory impairments, presumably by compensating for deficient nicotinic function in developmentally lead-exposed animals.