title: [Assessment of anti-tremorogenic drugs--nicotine-induced tail-tremor model].
abstract: The repeated administration of nicotine at small doses, which do not produce whole body tremor or convulsion, causes tremor only in the tail (tail-tremor) of rats. The tremor is accompanied by locomotor hyperactivity without rigidity and immobility of the whole body, suggesting that the nicotine-induced tail-tremor model is useful for studying the mechanism underlying tremor associated with movement. The tail-tremor induced by nicotine was suppressed by mecamylamine, a nicotinic antagonist, but not by atropine or scopolamine, muscalinic antagonists. Moreover, the tail-tremor was suppressed by the beta-blockers propranolol and pindolol, as well as the benzodiazepines diazepam and clonazepam. Tremor at rest is observed only in Parkinson's disease, which is improved with anti-muscalinic drugs. Essential tremor is one of the typical tremors connected with movement (postural and kinetic tremor) and is improved with beta-blocker. These findings and results suggest that nicotine-induced tail-tremor is useful for the study of essential tremor in animal models.
authors.affiliation: Department of Hospital Pharmacy, Okayama University Medical School, Japan.
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Suemaru
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Kawasaki
authors.forename: Y
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Gomita
mesh_terms: D000319:Adrenergic beta-Antagonists / Q000627:therapeutic use; D000818:Animals; D014151:Anti-Anxiety Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use; D002998:Clonazepam / Q000627:therapeutic use; D003975:Diazepam / Q000627:therapeutic use; D004195:Disease Models, Animal; D004353:Drug Evaluation, Preclinical / Q000379:methods*; D008297:Male; D008464:Mecamylamine / Q000627:therapeutic use; D009538:Nicotine; D018733:Nicotinic Antagonists / Q000627:therapeutic use; D010869:Pindolol / Q000627:therapeutic use; D011433:Propranolol / Q000627:therapeutic use; D051381:Rats; D017208:Rats, Wistar; D013623:Tail; D014202:Tremor / Q000139:chemically induced* / Q000188:drug therapy*
chemical_list: D000319:Adrenergic beta-Antagonists; D014151:Anti-Anxiety Agents; D018733:Nicotinic Antagonists; D002998:Clonazepam; D008464:Mecamylamine; D009538:Nicotine; D011433:Propranolol; D010869:Pindolol; D003975:Diazepam