TY - JOUR
T1 - Behavioral effects of nicotine withdrawal in adult male and female rats
AU - Hamilton, Kristen R.
AU - Berger, Sarah Shafer
AU - Perry, Michael E.
AU - Grunberg, Neil E.
PY - 2009/3
Y1 - 2009/3
N2 - Nicotine withdrawal may differ between men and women but clinical reports are inconsistent. Two experiments were conducted to examine behavioral effects of nicotine withdrawal in male and female adult rats in dimly-lit and brightly-lit environments. Ninety-six Sprague-Dawley male and female rats received 7 days continuous subcutaneous infusion via ALZET osmotic minipumps filled with saline or 3.16 mg/kg/day nicotine hydrogen tartrate expressed as base. Behavioral observations were made before, during, and after drug administration. During observations, occurrences of empty-mouth-chewing, whole-body-shakes, abnormal grooming, abnormal posture/movement, diarrhea, ptosis, eyeblinks, and any other abnormal behaviors were counted. Cessation of nicotine administration upon pump removal caused a significant increase in withdrawal behaviors in males and females in both environments. In the dimly-lit environment, females showed more withdrawal behavior than males; there was no sex difference in the brightly-lit environment. Males that had received nicotine displayed more withdrawal behavior in the brightly-lit environment than in the dimly-lit environment, while females that had received nicotine displayed similar amounts of withdrawal behavior in both environments. Behavioral symptoms of withdrawal may be more affected by the environment in male rats than in female rats. These experiments are the first to compare nicotine withdrawal in adult male and female rats.
AB - Nicotine withdrawal may differ between men and women but clinical reports are inconsistent. Two experiments were conducted to examine behavioral effects of nicotine withdrawal in male and female adult rats in dimly-lit and brightly-lit environments. Ninety-six Sprague-Dawley male and female rats received 7 days continuous subcutaneous infusion via ALZET osmotic minipumps filled with saline or 3.16 mg/kg/day nicotine hydrogen tartrate expressed as base. Behavioral observations were made before, during, and after drug administration. During observations, occurrences of empty-mouth-chewing, whole-body-shakes, abnormal grooming, abnormal posture/movement, diarrhea, ptosis, eyeblinks, and any other abnormal behaviors were counted. Cessation of nicotine administration upon pump removal caused a significant increase in withdrawal behaviors in males and females in both environments. In the dimly-lit environment, females showed more withdrawal behavior than males; there was no sex difference in the brightly-lit environment. Males that had received nicotine displayed more withdrawal behavior in the brightly-lit environment than in the dimly-lit environment, while females that had received nicotine displayed similar amounts of withdrawal behavior in both environments. Behavioral symptoms of withdrawal may be more affected by the environment in male rats than in female rats. These experiments are the first to compare nicotine withdrawal in adult male and female rats.
KW - Adult
KW - Environment
KW - Estrous
KW - Female
KW - Locomotor activity
KW - Male
KW - Nicotine withdrawal
KW - Sex differences
KW - Sprague-Dawley
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=58549107364&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1016/j.pbb.2008.10.010
DO - 10.1016/j.pbb.2008.10.010
M3 - Article
C2 - 19000707
AN - SCOPUS:58549107364
SN - 0091-3057
VL - 92
SP - 51
EP - 59
JO - Pharmacology, Biochemistry and Behavior
JF - Pharmacology, Biochemistry and Behavior
IS - 1
ER -