Preexposure effects of nicotine and acetaldehyde on conditioned taste aversion induced by both drugs.
Previous assessments have demonstrated an interaction between ethanol and nicotine in the conditioned taste-aversion (CTA) paradigm. The present study assessed whether acetaldehyde, the primary reinforcing metabolite of ethanol, would interact with nicotine as well. In six experiments, water-deprived male Wistar rats were preexposed to either acetaldehyde (0.2 or 0.3 g/kg, IP) or nicotine (0.8, 1.2, or 2 mg/kg, SC) for 3 consecutive days and then subsequently conditioned, 24 h later, with either nicotine (0.8, 1.2, or 2 mg/kg, SC) or acetaldehyde (0.2 or 0.3 g/kg, IP), respectively. There were 4 conditioning days and 4 drug-free test days, each spaced 72 h apart. On test days, animals were offered a free choice between water and saccharin. The results of the following set of experiments demonstrated a dose-related interaction between nicotine and acetaldehyde, where lower doses of each drug failed to attenuate CTA induced by one another, but a higher nicotine dose (2 mg/kg) attenuated the formation of a CTA induced by acetaldehyde (0.3 g/kg). It was argued that the primary metabolite of ethanol may play a role in the interaction between nicotine and ethanol previously observed.
Kunin
D
D
Center for Studies in Behavioral Neurobiology, Department of Psychology, Concordia University, Montreal, Canada.
Latendresse
M W
MW
Gaskin
S
S
Smith
B R
BR
Amit
Z
Z
D000079:Acetaldehyde / Q000494:pharmacology*; D000818:Animals; D001362:Avoidance Learning / Q000187:drug effects*; D003216:Conditioning, Operant / Q000187:drug effects*; D004305:Dose-Response Relationship, Drug; D007274:Injections, Intraperitoneal; D008297:Male; D009538:Nicotine / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000494:pharmacology*; D018722:Nicotinic Agonists / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000494:pharmacology*; D051381:Rats; D017208:Rats, Wistar; D013649:Taste / Q000187:drug effects*
D018722:Nicotinic Agonists; D009538:Nicotine; D000079:Acetaldehyde