The importance of sweet taste and caloric content in the effects of nicotine on specific food consumption

There is an inverse relationship between nicotine and body weight that has been partially explained by changes in consumption of sweet-tasting high calorie foods. The present research was designed to determine the relative importance of sweet taste and caloric content in the effects of nicotine on specific food consumption and body weight. Alzet miniosmotic pumps were implanted SC to administer saline or two different concentrations of nicotine to 63 male Sprague-Dawley rats for 17 days. Three experiments were performed in which animals had access to two foods, a nonsweet low calorie food and a "target" food (sweet low calorie, sweet high calorie, or nonsweet high calorie). Body weight, food consumption, and water consumption were measured daily before, during, and after drug administration. In all three experiments, there was an inverse relationship between nicotine and body weight. Both sweet taste and caloric content were involved in the effects of nicotine on specific food consumption and body weight, but sweet taste was particularly important. In fact, the effects of nicotine on body weight were attenuated when sweet-tasting low calorie foods were available. These findings have implications for controlling body weight gains after cessation of cigarette smoking.