Characteristics of conditioned taste aversion produced by nicotine in rats

1 Nicotine produced conditioned taste aversions in rats which were directly related to the dose of nicotine and to the number of conditioning trials. 2 The tobacco alkaloid (-)-nicotine was four to five times as potent as its stereoisomer, (+)-nicotine. 3 Mecamylamine but not hexamethonium blocked the development of taste aversions produced by nicotine. 4 Mecamylamine did not block the development of taste aversions produced by apomorphine. 5 Prolonged treatment with mecamylamine prior to conditioning did not produce supersensitivity to nicotine.