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Updated: Feb 13, 2026

Assessment of Cocaine-induced Behavioral Sensitization and Conditioned Place Preference in Mice
Published on: February 18, 2016
Cocaine + nicotine mixture enhances induction and expression of behavioral sensitization in rats
Susana Barbosa-Méndez1, Alberto Salazar-Juárez1
1Subdirección de Investigaciones Clínicas, Laboratorio de Neurofarmacología Conductual, Microcirugía y Terapéutica Experimental, Instituto Nacional de Psiquiatría, Ciudad de México, 14370, Mexico.
Background:
Psychoactive substance abuse is a health problem worldwide. Has been reported a high prevalence of use of tobacco and cocaine, either separately or in combination. Clinical and animal studies have suggested that the concurrent use of cocaine and nicotine reinforces the potency of one or both drugs and that nicotine may enhance the reinforcing effects of cocaine. Our study evaluated the combined effects of cocaine and nicotine on locomotor activity during the induction and expression phases of locomotor sensitization-a physiological mechanism that plays an important role in establishing some of the defining characteristics of drug abuse.
Methods:
We used Wistar rats which were dosed with cocaine, nicotine or cocaine and nicotine combination and recorded their locomotor activity in different phases of the experiment.
Results:
We found that a daily dose of cocaine combined with nicotine enhanced cocaine- and nicotine-induced locomotor activity, as well as induction and expression of locomotor sensitization. Moreover, we found that pretreatment with nicotine enhanced the locomotor sensitization expression.
Conclusion:
These results suggest that concurrent use of cocaine and nicotine may result in co-abuse of these drugs.
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