Influence of nicotine on the core temperature response to a novel environment in pregnant rats

Exposure of a male or nonpregnant female rat to a novel environment, such as a simulated open field, induces a transient increase in core temperature, which is often called stress-induced hyperthermia. Pregnancy alters this response such that the core temperature index increases significantly during exposure to a simulated open field on day 10 but not on days 15 and 20 of gestation in rats. The present experiments were carried to investigate the effect of chronic administration of nicotine (0, 1, 2, 4, or 8 mg.kg-1.24 h-1 for 13-15 days) on the core temperature response to a simulated open field in chronically instrumented pregnant (day 20 or 21 of gestation) and nonpregnant Sprague-Dawley rats. In nonpregnant rats, the core temperature index increased more during exposure to a simulated open field after chronic administration of nicotine at all doses than after chronic administration of vehicle; the core temperature response was not dependent on the dose of nicotine. In pregnant rats, significant increases in core temperature as well as in the core temperature index occurred only during exposure to a simulated open field after chronic administration of nicotine in doses of 2, 4, or 8 mg.kg-1.24 h-1; the core temperature response was dependent on the dose of nicotine. Our data provide evidence that chronic exposure to nicotine enhances the core temperature response to a simulated open field in nonpregnant rats and unmasks a maternal thermogenic response that is not seen to the same stimulus near term of pregnancy. The possible physiological consequences for the fetus are presently unknown and require investigation.