title: Nicotine abstinence in the mouse.
abstract: We present evidence that intermittent administration of nicotine, 2 mg/kg s.c., four times daily to mice for 14 days produces a somatic abstinence syndrome after discontinuing treatment. The nicotine abstinence was mild and protracted, lasting more than 92 h. The constellation of abstinence signs was characterized by rearing, jumping, shakes, abdominal constrictions, chewing, facial tremor and scratching. No autonomic symptomatology was observed. Nicotine abstinence was attenuated with a single dose of nicotine administered at 24 or 48 h into withdrawal. The nicotinic antagonist mecamylamine, 3 mg/kg, induced a small increase in the total abstinence score when given 60 min after the last nicotine injection. Nicotine-abstinent mice displayed reduced locomotor activity. Finally, mice lost weight during the nicotine treatment which was not recovered during the withdrawal. Along with the rat nicotine abstinence model, the mouse model of intermittent nicotine administration and abstinence might be useful for studying the pharmacological and biochemical mechanisms of nicotine addiction and tobacco use.
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychiatry, Ohio State University College of Medicine and Public Health, Columbus, OH 43221, USA.
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Isola
authors.forename: V
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Vogelsberg
authors.forename: T A
authors.initials: TA
authors.lastname: Wemlinger
authors.forename: N H
authors.initials: NH
authors.lastname: Neff
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Hadjiconstantinou
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001522:Behavior, Animal / Q000187:drug effects*; D001835:Body Weight / Q000187:drug effects; D007279:Injections, Subcutaneous; D008297:Male; D008464:Mecamylamine / Q000494:pharmacology; D051379:Mice; D009043:Motor Activity / Q000187:drug effects; D009538:Nicotine / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000009:adverse effects*; D018722:Nicotinic Agonists / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000009:adverse effects*; D018733:Nicotinic Antagonists / Q000494:pharmacology; D013375:Substance Withdrawal Syndrome / Q000523:psychology*; D013997:Time Factors
chemical_list: D018722:Nicotinic Agonists; D018733:Nicotinic Antagonists; D008464:Mecamylamine; D009538:Nicotine