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Nicotine and schedule-induced drinking in rats
Pharmacology, Biochemistry, and Behavior
|April 1, 1978
Summary
Schedule-induced drinking in rats was used to study nicotine self-administration. Nicotine attenuated water intake but facilitated food tray entries at low doses, demonstrating its complex effects.
Area of Science:
- Behavioral Neuroscience
- Pharmacology
- Addiction Research
Background:
- Schedule-induced polydipsia is a behavioral phenomenon where animals drink excessively under specific reinforcement schedules.
- Nicotine is a psychoactive substance with complex effects on behavior, including potential for self-administration.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the use of schedule-induced drinking as a method for inducing nicotine self-administration in rats.
- To examine the dose-dependent effects of nicotine on water intake and feeding behavior.
Main Methods:
- Rats were exposed to a fixed-time schedule of food delivery to induce water drinking.
- Nicotine hydrogen tartrate was administered via injection at various doses.
- Nicotine solutions were substituted for drinking water to assess self-administration.
Main Results:
- Nicotine administration produced a dose-related decrease in schedule-induced water intake.
- Higher nicotine doses reduced food tray entries, while lower doses facilitated them.
- Rats self-administered nicotine solutions, consuming average doses up to 8.5 mg/kg.
Conclusions:
- Schedule-induced drinking is an effective method for establishing nicotine self-administration in rats.
- Nicotine exhibits complex dose-dependent effects on water intake and feeding behaviors.
- This model provides a valuable tool for studying nicotine's reinforcing properties.