title: Evidence for enhanced neurobehavioral vulnerability to nicotine during periadolescence in rats.
abstract: Epidemiological studies indicate that there is an increased likelihood for the development of nicotine addiction when cigarette smoking starts early during adolescence. These observations suggest that adolescence could be a "critical" ontogenetic period, during which drugs of abuse have distinct effects responsible for the development of dependence later in life. We compared the long-term behavioral and molecular effects of repeated nicotine treatment during either periadolescence or postadolescence in rats. It was found that exposure to nicotine during periadolescence, but not a similar exposure in the postadolescent period, increased the intravenous self-administration of nicotine and the expression of distinct subunits of the ligand-gated acetylcholine receptor in adult animals. Both these changes indicated an increased sensitivity to the addictive properties of nicotine. In conclusion, adolescence seems to be a critical developmental period, characterized by enhanced neurobehavioral vulnerability to nicotine.
authors.affiliation: Institut National de la Santé et de la Recherche Médicale U588, Université V. Segalen, Bordeaux 2, Domaine de Carreire, 33077 Bordeaux, France.
authors.forename: Walter
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Adriani
authors.forename: Sabine
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Spijker
authors.forename: Véronique
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Deroche-Gamonet
authors.forename: Giovanni
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Laviola
authors.forename: Michel
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Le Moal
authors.forename: August B
authors.initials: AB
authors.lastname: Smit
authors.forename: Pier Vincenzo
authors.initials: PV
authors.lastname: Piazza
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001522:Behavior, Animal / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000502:physiology*; D003423:Critical Period, Psychological; D015870:Gene Expression / Q000187:drug effects; D007275:Injections, Intravenous; D008297:Male; D008636:Mesencephalon / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism; D009043:Motor Activity / Q000187:drug effects; D009420:Nervous System / Q000187:drug effects*; D009538:Nicotine / Q000494:pharmacology*; D021122:Protein Subunits / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D012333:RNA, Messenger / Q000378:metabolism; D051381:Rats; D017207:Rats, Sprague-Dawley; D011978:Receptors, Nicotinic / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D012054:Reinforcement, Psychology; D012646:Self Administration; D012741:Sexual Maturation / Q000502:physiology*; D013378:Substantia Nigra / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism; D013995:Time; D014029:Tobacco Use Disorder / Q000209:etiology; D017557:Ventral Tegmental Area / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism
chemical_list: D021122:Protein Subunits; D012333:RNA, Messenger; D011978:Receptors, Nicotinic; D009538:Nicotine