title: Self-Administered Nicotine Suppresses Body Weight Gain Independent of Food Intake in Male Rats.
abstract: The action of nicotine to suppress body weight is often cited as a factor impacting smoking initiation and the failure to quit. Despite the weight-suppressant effects of nicotine, smokers and nonsmokers report equal daily caloric intake. The weight-suppressive effects of nicotine in animal models of smoking are poorly understood. Furthermore, the Food and Drug Administration has authority to implement a policy markedly reducing nicotine levels in cigarettes; such a reduction could reduce smoking behavior, but have detrimental effects on body weight. The aim of this investigation was to examine the effects of self-administered nicotine on body weight and food intake in rats.
  
  
  
  In Experiment 1, rats with ad libitum access to chow responded for intravenous infusions of nicotine (60 µg/kg/infusion) or saline in daily 1-hour sessions; body weight and 24-hour food intake were measured. Experiment 2 tested the effects of subcutaneous injections of nicotine on food intake. In Experiment 3, rats were food restricted and self-administered nicotine across a range of doses (3.75-60 µg/kg/infusion) while body weight was measured. In Experiment 4, rats self-administered 60 µg/kg/infusion nicotine before reduction to one of several doses (1.875-15 µg/kg/infusion) for 50 days.
  
  
  
  Self-administered nicotine suppressed weight gain independent of food intake. In food restricted rats, self-administered nicotine dose-dependently suppressed body weight gain. In rats self-administering 60 µg/kg/infusion nicotine, dose reduction increased body weight.
  
  
  
  Self-administered nicotine, even at low doses, suppressed body independent of food intake; this may have important implications for nicotine reduction policy.
  
  
  
  The results of the present studies demonstrate that self-administered nicotine suppresses body weight independent of food intake in rats. Further, the present studies establish that self-administered nicotine suppresses body weight even at very low doses and that reduction of nicotine dose results in weight gain. These results have important implications for nicotine reduction policy.
authors.affiliation: Center for Neuroscience, University of Pittsburgh , Pittsburgh, PA.
authors.forename: Laura E
authors.initials: LE
authors.lastname: Rupprecht
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychology, University of Pittsburgh , Pittsburgh, PA.
authors.forename: Tracy T
authors.initials: TT
authors.lastname: Smith
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychology, University of Pittsburgh , Pittsburgh, PA.
authors.forename: Eric C
authors.initials: EC
authors.lastname: Donny
authors.affiliation: Center for Neuroscience, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA.|Department of Psychology, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA.|Department of Neuroscience, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA.
authors.forename: Alan F
authors.initials: AF
authors.lastname: Sved
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D004435:Eating / Q000187:drug effects*; D007262:Infusions, Intravenous; D008297:Male; D009538:Nicotine / Q000008:administration & dosage* / Q000494:pharmacology; D051381:Rats; D017207:Rats, Sprague-Dawley; D012646:Self Administration; D015430:Weight Gain / Q000187:drug effects*
chemical_list: D009538:Nicotine