Nicotine-induced hypophagia and hypodipsia in deprived and in hypothalamically stimulated rats.

Nicotine, in doses of 0.15 and 0.45 mg/kg, induced hypophagia and hypodipsia in 20 hrs-deprived rats and elevated the threshold currents for hypothalamically induced feeding and drinking in satiated rats. These effects were blocked by pretreatment with 0.5 mg/kg mecamylamine, but not by pretreatment with 3.0 or 9.0 mg/kg hexamethonium. These results indicate a centrally-located mechanism for the hypophagic and hypodipsic effect of single injections of nicotine.