Acute and chronic nicotine effects on measures of activity in rats: a multivariate analysis

Nicotine has been reported to increase or decrease measures of activity in rats, including locomotor activity and rearing. Nicotine dose and repeated exposure to nicotine are known to be important factors in determining the effects on locomotor behavior. Less information has been gathered on rearing and other measures of activity. Rats were tested repeatedly, once per day, in Digiscan automated activity analyzers that reported 19 measures of activity. Each rat was given the same drug and dose each day, either saline or 0.1, 0.2, or 0.4 mg/kg nicotine. The 19 measures were combined or modified to produce 14 measures that were examined using factor analysis to help select the most independent measures. Four measures were selected to describe the effects of dose and to compare day 1 results with day 5 results. Total distance moved was increased in a dose-related fashion and was greater on day 5 than on day 1. Rearing was increased at low doses and decreased at high doses on both days. Stereotypy was increased approximately the same amount by all three doses, and was greater on day 5 than on day 1. Center time was increased by the highest dose on both days. These results once again point out the influences of repeated testing and repeated nicotine exposure on behavior. They may also help to clarify why some studies have reported that both ambulation and rearing are increased after nicotine whereas others find opposite effects.