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Effects of nicotine pretreatment on cocaine‐seeking behavior
Author(s) -
Mojica Celina Yvonne,
Belluzzi James D.,
Leslie Frances M
Publication year - 2010
Publication title -
the faseb journal
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.709
H-Index - 277
eISSN - 1530-6860
pISSN - 0892-6638
DOI - 10.1096/fasebj.24.1_supplement.580.9
Subject(s) - nicotine , self administration , extinction (optical mineralogy) , saline , addiction , drugs of abuse , pharmacology , psychology , nicotine addiction , drug , anesthesia , medicine , physiology , psychiatry , chemistry , mineralogy
Adolescence is a period marked by increased engagement in risky behaviors, such as the initiation of drug use. Adolescents tend to start by using tobacco and later progress to illicit drugs, such as cocaine. This has led to the hypothesis that nicotine, the main psychoactive component of tobacco smoke, is a ‘gateway’ drug that sensitizes the brain to other drugs of abuse. Our lab has previously shown data in support of this hypothesis, showing that a brief low‐dose nicotine treatment increases initial acquisition of cocaine self‐administration in adolescents. The purpose of the present study was to extend the analysis of the effects of nicotine pretreatment to extinction and reinstatement of cocaine‐seeking behavior. Male Sprague‐Dawley rats, aged postnatal day (P) 28 or P86, were given two daily intravenous injections of nicotine or saline for four consecutive days. At P32 or P90, rats self‐administered cocaine for 2 hr daily for at least 12 days. Animals then underwent extinction for a minimum of 7 days or until extinction requirements were met. Rats were reinstated either with a cocaine priming injection or reintroduction of drug‐associated cues. Initial data suggests there is a nicotine pretreatment effect on acquisition and extinction in adolescent rats. Adolescent rats pretreated with nicotine acquire cocaine self‐administration earlier and extinguish faster than adolescents pretreated with saline.