Nicotine enhances dopamine clearance in rat nucleus accumbens

1. Adult male rats were urethane-anesthetized and prepared for acute in-vivo voltammetric recording in the nucleus accumbens. 2. Small amounts of 200 uM dopamine were pressure ejected near the tip of the recording electrode at 5-min intervals, while the peak concentration and time course of dopamine clearance were measured voltammetrically. 3. After stable peak amplitudes were established, nicotine (0.4 mg/kg) was injected systemically. 4. Dopamine peak amplitudes decreased following nicotine injection, presumably due to enhanced dopamine reuptake.