Agonist and antagonist effects of cytisine in vivo

Varenicline, the most successful smoking cessation aid, is a selective partial agonists at α4β2* nicotinic receptors. Its efficacy is likely to be shared by other drugs with similar receptor action, including cytisine. The present study aimed to characterize behavioral effects of cytisine compared with nicotine using locomotor activity tests, intracranial self-stimulation of ventral tegmental area (discrete-trial threshold current intensity titration procedure), drug discrimination (0.6 mg/kg nicotine from vehicle), physical dependence (osmotic minipumps delivering 6 mg/kg/day of nicotine) and intravenous nicotine self-administration (0.01 mg/kg per infusion) in adult Wistar rats. Cytisine (1-3 mg/kg) partially substituted for nicotine and at the highest dose tended to antagonize nicotine's discriminative stimulus effects. Nicotine (0.05-0.4 mg/kg), but not cytisine (0.3-3 mg/kg), lowered ICSS thresholds and cytisine dose-dependently reversed effects of nicotine. Nicotine (0.15-0.6 mg/kg), but not cytisine (0.3-3 mg/kg), stimulated locomotor activity and cytisine (3 mg/kg) fully reversed these effects of nicotine. Acute pretreatment with nicotine (0.15-0.6 mg/kg), but not cytisine (0.3-3 mg/kg), reinstated extinguished nicotine self-administration. Continuous infusion of nicotine induced physical dependence, as indicated by reduced rates of food-reinforced responding induced by a challenge dose of mecamylamine. At the highest tested dose (3 mg/kg), cytisine tended to reduce response rates irrespective of whether the rats were continuously exposed to nicotine or saline. Cytisine behaves like a weak partial agonist, mimicking effects of nicotine to a limited degree. Although cytisine reversed several effects of nicotine, it seemed to have a reduced potential to produce withdrawal signs in nicotine-dependent subjects.