Further evidence for the mechanisms that may mediate nicotine discrimination

Rats were trained to discriminate the interoceptive stimuli produced by subcutaneously administered 0.4 mg/kg nicotine in a two-lever, food-motivated, operant task. Once criterion performance was attained, dose-response experiments indicated an ED50 value of 0.1 mg/kg and subsequent time course experiments showed a maximal effect between 10 and 30 min postadministration with a return to saline-like responding at 2 h. Pretreatment with the presynaptic dopamine release inhibitors CGS 10746B (30 mg/kg), as well as with the dihydropyridine calcium blocker isradipine (15 mg/kg), each produced a significant blockade of nicotine discrimination. In contrast, the 5-hydroxytryptamine (5-HT) receptor 5-HT3 antagonist ICS-205930 did not produce any effect upon nicotine discrimination. Thus, drugs that interfere with calcium influx, viz., isradipine, or with dopamine release (CGS 10746B) also interfere with nicotine discrimination and these results suggest that calcium influx and dopamine release may be necessary conditions for nicotine discrimination.