Behavioral consequences of repeated nicotine during adolescence in alcohol-preferring AA and alcohol-avoiding ANA rats.

BACKGROUND

Epidemiological studies suggest that exposure to nicotine at adolescent age is associated with increased potential to use alcohol and that genetic predisposition may further increase the risk. The present study addressed adolescent vulnerability to repeated nicotine exposure and its influence on subsequent ethanol self-administration by investigating interactions between nicotine-induced behavioral sensitization and voluntary ethanol consumption in alcohol preferring AA (Alko Alcohol) and alcohol nonpreferring ANA (Alko Non-Alcohol) rat lines selected for differential ethanol intake.

METHODS

Adolescent and adult rats received 10 injections of nicotine (0.5 mg/kg s.c.), given every second day from postnatal day (Pnd) 27 and 75, respectively. Nicotine-induced (0.5 mg/kg) locomotor activity was measured acutely after the first injection, and after the repeated treatment with nicotine on Pnds 52 and 86 in the adolescent groups and on Pnd 99 in the adult groups. After this, acquisition of voluntary ethanol (10% v/v) consumption as well as nicotine-induced (0.5 mg/kg) ethanol intake was measured in the AA rats.

RESULTS

Adolescent AA rats were more sensitive than adolescent ANA rats to the locomotor effects of nicotine. They were also stimulated more than adult AA rats, but such a difference was not found among ANA rats. Adolescent and adult rats did not differ in their susceptibility to nicotine-induced behavioral sensitization. Genetic predisposition to ethanol self-administration did not interact with development of behavioral sensitization in either adolescents or adults. Acquisition of ethanol intake was enhanced in the adolescent groups relative to the adult groups in a manner that was independent of the nicotine treatment. An increase in ethanol intake was found after challenging animals with nicotine, and this effect was enhanced in the nicotine-treated adolescent group.

CONCLUSIONS

These findings provide no or little support for the views that adolescent animals are more sensitive to the neurobehavioral effects of repeated exposure to nicotine and that exposure to nicotine in adolescence may contribute to enhanced vulnerability to ethanol abuse. Furthermore, genetic predisposition to high or low ethanol self-administration does not seem to be a factor that influences individual vulnerability to the neurobehavioral effects of repeated administration of nicotine.