title: Nicotine effects on rat seizures susceptibility and hippocampal neuronal degeneration.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Nicotine is a widely used drug of abuse exerting number of effects on the central nervous system. The study was aimed at the effects of nicotine in various doses on the excitability of cerebral cortex and - by using the methods of histochemistry - to identify possible signs of neuronal degeneration after nicotine administration.
  
  
  METHODS
  Cortical afterdischarges were elicited by repeated stimulation of the right sensorimotor cortex. The duration of evoked ADs was monitored in animals treated with nicotine (0.75 or 1.0mg/kg) and in animals treated with saline. Methods of histochemistry (Fluoro-Jade B and bis-benzimide) were used to detect possible neuronal degeneration in hippocampus or in cerebral cortex.
  
  
  RESULTS
  No Fluoro-Jade B positive cells were found in hippocampi of control animals, or animals treated with nicotine. ADs length was significantly influenced by administration of nicotine.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Nicotine in 0.75 or 1.0 mg/kg dose leads to the decrease in ADs duration, influences the seizure susceptibility, and doesn't cause any detectable neuronal damage.
authors.affiliation: Institute of Physiology, Charles University, Prague, Czech Republic. vladimir.riljak@lf1.cuni.cz
authors.forename: Vladimír
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Riljak
authors.forename: Dana
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Maresova
authors.forename: Jaroslav
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Pokorny
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D002540:Cerebral Cortex / Q000187:drug effects / Q000473:pathology* / Q000503:physiopathology; D004195:Disease Models, Animal; D004198:Disease Susceptibility; D004305:Dose-Response Relationship, Drug; D004567:Electrodes, Implanted; D004594:Electrophysiology; D005071:Evoked Potentials; D006624:Hippocampus / Q000187:drug effects / Q000473:pathology*; D007274:Injections, Intraperitoneal; D009044:Motor Cortex / Q000473:pathology; D009410:Nerve Degeneration / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000473:pathology*; D009474:Neurons / Q000473:pathology*; D009538:Nicotine / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000009:adverse effects*; D018722:Nicotinic Agonists / Q000009:adverse effects; D011897:Random Allocation; D051381:Rats; D017208:Rats, Wistar; D012640:Seizures / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000473:pathology / Q000503:physiopathology*
chemical_list: D018722:Nicotinic Agonists; D009538:Nicotine