Effect of long-term cigarette smoke exposure on locomotor activity and brain monoamine levels in rats

Rats were chronically exposed to cigarette smoke for 20 min twice daily using a smoking machine. On days 1, 4, and 14, locomotor activity and rearing were measured for 15 min in an open-field apparatus. On day 1, exposure to cigarette smoke increased locomotor activity and rearing in the latter half of the observation period. This effect became more pronounced on days 4 and 14. Chronic cigarette smoke exposures for 21 days significantly decreased the norepinephrine levels in the hypothalamus, thalamus, and pons-medulla, but not the levels of dopamine, 5-hydroxytryptamine, or their metabolites. These results suggest that repeated cigarette smoke exposure increasingly stimulates locomotor activity and rearing and affects norepinephrine metabolism, especially in the brainstem.