Involvement of nitric oxide in development of tail-tremor induced by repeated nicotine administration in rats.
Daily administration of nicotine (0.5 mg/kg per day s.c.) to rats caused a tremor that appeared only in the tail (tail-tremor) and which became more marked over 8 days. Nitric oxide (NO) synthase inhibitors, Nw-nitro-L-arginine (10 mg/kg per day i.p.) or Nw-nitro-L-arginine methyl ester (20 and 40 mg/kg per day i.p.), administered each day before nicotine attenuated the development of the tail-tremor. However, neither Nw-nitro-L-arginine (2-10 mg/kg i.p.) nor Nw-nitro-L-arginine methyl ester (10-40 mg/kg i.p.) affected the tail-tremor that developed after 14 days of repeated nicotine administration. The noncompetitive N-methyl-D-aspartate (NMDA) receptor antagonist, MK-801 ((+)-5-methyl-10,11,-dihydro-5H-dibenzo[a,b]cyclohepten-5,10-imine hydrogen maleate) at 0.2 mg/kg per day (i.p.), or competitive antagonist, CPP (3-[(+/-)-2-carboxypiperazin-4-yl] propyl-1-phosphonic acid) at 2 mg/kg per day (i.p.), administered each day before nicotine attenuated the development of the tail-tremor. MK-801 (0.01-0.2 mg/kg i.p.) but not CPP (0.5-4 mg/kg i.p.) suppressed the tail-tremor that developed after 14 days of repeated nicotine administration. These results suggest that NO formation mediated by NMDA receptors is involved in the mechanisms underlying the tail-tremor induced by the repeated administration of nicotine.
Suemaru
K
K
Division of Pharmacy, Misasa Medical Branch, Okayama University Medical School, Tottori, Japan.
Kawasaki
H
H
Gomita
Y
Y
Tanizaki
Y
Y
D000818:Animals; D008297:Male; D008464:Mecamylamine / Q000494:pharmacology; D009538:Nicotine / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000633:toxicity*; D018722:Nicotinic Agonists / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000633:toxicity*; D018733:Nicotinic Antagonists / Q000494:pharmacology; D009569:Nitric Oxide / Q000037:antagonists & inhibitors*; D019001:Nitric Oxide Synthase / Q000037:antagonists & inhibitors; D051381:Rats; D017208:Rats, Wistar; D016194:Receptors, N-Methyl-D-Aspartate / Q000037:antagonists & inhibitors; D013623:Tail; D014202:Tremor / Q000139:chemically induced / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000503:physiopathology
D018722:Nicotinic Agonists; D018733:Nicotinic Antagonists; D016194:Receptors, N-Methyl-D-Aspartate; D009569:Nitric Oxide; D008464:Mecamylamine; D009538:Nicotine; D019001:Nitric Oxide Synthase