title: Age- and sex-related differences in alcohol and nicotine effects in C57BL/6J mice.
abstract: The present studies were aimed to identify possible age- and/or sex-related differences in the effects of alcohol and nicotine. Study 1 examined age-related differences in alcohol and nicotine effects. Adolescent and adult C57BL/6J male mice were injected with alcohol or nicotine. Results indicated that alcohol and nicotine induced hypothermia and reduced locomotor activity in both adolescent and adult mice. In both dependent variables, adults were more affected than adolescents that received the same alcohol or nicotine dose. Study 2 examined possible sex-related differences in the effects of these drugs. Results replicated the aged-related differences revealed in Study 1 after alcohol or nicotine administration in male mice. No sex-related differences were observed in alcohol effects. However, young animals of both sexes and adult females appeared to be more resistant to nicotine effects. In both studies, blood alcohol concentrations and cotinine plasma concentrations were assessed. These results suggest that young C57BL/6J mice are more resistant to both alcohol and nicotine effects. In addition, adult females may be more resistant to acute nicotine effects on temperature and locomotion.
authors.affiliation: Department fo Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Center for Drug and Alcohol Programs, Medical University of South Carolina, Charleston, 29425, USA. lopezm@musc.edu
authors.forename: Marcelo
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Lopez
authors.forename: Damon
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Simpson
authors.forename: Nancy
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: White
authors.forename: Carrie
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Randall
mesh_terms: D000367:Age Factors; D000818:Animals; D001831:Body Temperature / Q000187:drug effects; D001921:Brain / Q000187:drug effects; D003367:Cotinine / Q000097:blood; D004305:Dose-Response Relationship, Drug; D000431:Ethanol / Q000097:blood / Q000633:toxicity*; D005260:Female; D007274:Injections, Intraperitoneal; D008297:Male; D051379:Mice; D008810:Mice, Inbred C57BL; D009043:Motor Activity / Q000187:drug effects; D009538:Nicotine / Q000097:blood / Q000633:toxicity*; D012737:Sex Factors
chemical_list: D000431:Ethanol; D009538:Nicotine; D003367:Cotinine