Nicotine does not produce state-dependent effects on learning in a Pavlovian appetitive goal tracking task with rats.
Past research has shown that when rats received 0.4mg base/kg nicotine paired reliably with intermittent sucrose delivery that anticipatory sucrose-seeking behavior (i.e., goal tracking) was differentially displayed in the nicotine state relative to intermixed saline sessions in which no sucrose was delivered. The present research extended this observation to a lower dose of nicotine (i.e., 0.2mg base/kg) and tested a state-dependent learning account of differential conditioned responding. According to this account, the increase in goal tracking on nicotine sessions reflects a chamber-sucrose association that is only recalled when in the nicotine state. We used a 2x2 factorial design in which rats received sucrose deliveries in one drug state (nicotine or saline) and were then tested in the same state (Nic-->Nic or Sal-->Sal) or a different state (Nic-->Sal or Sal-->Nic) after acquiring the conditioned response. A state-dependency account predicts disruption in conditioned goal tracking for rats that receive a shift in drug state on the test day. This disruption did not occur suggesting that differential control of conditioned responding by nicotine is more likely due to a direct excitatory association between the interoceptive cueing effects of nicotine and the appetitive qualities of sucrose.
Bevins
Rick A
RA
Department of Psychology, 238 Burnett Hall, University of Nebraska-Lincoln, Lincoln, NE 68588-0308, United States. rbevins1@unl.edu
Penrod
Rachel D
RD
Reichel
Carmela M
CM
D000704:Analysis of Variance; D000818:Animals; D001066:Appetite / Q000187:drug effects*; D001522:Behavior, Animal / Q000187:drug effects; D003214:Conditioning, Classical / Q000187:drug effects*; D004192:Discrimination, Psychological / Q000187:drug effects; D008297:Male; D009538:Nicotine / Q000494:pharmacology*; D018722:Nicotinic Agonists / Q000494:pharmacology*; D051381:Rats; D017207:Rats, Sprague-Dawley; D013395:Sucrose / Q000008:administration & dosage; D013549:Sweetening Agents / Q000008:administration & dosage
D018722:Nicotinic Agonists; D013549:Sweetening Agents; D013395:Sucrose; D009538:Nicotine