A two-injection protocol for nicotine sensitization.

Sensitization to the locomotor activating effect of drugs of abuse occurs following repeated exposure to a drug, and/or when limited exposure to a drug is paired with a specific environment. Conditioned, or context-dependent, sensitization has been well-characterized using limited exposure protocols in, for example, cocaine- and amphetamine-treated animals. However, little data exists regarding limited exposure protocols for other drugs of abuse, such as nicotine. The current experiment investigated whether a two-injection protocol of nicotine administration would result in locomotor sensitization. Mice administered two injections of nicotine (0.175mg/kg, s.c.) 7d apart demonstrated significant locomotor sensitization in response to the second exposure. Furthermore, the development of this sensitization was blocked by the administration of the nicotinic acetylcholine receptor antagonist mecamylamine (2mg/kg) prior to the first nicotine exposure. In a follow-up study, we found that this two-injection nicotine sensitization was independent of context, as separate groups of mice given an initial nicotine exposure (0.175mg/kg, s.c.) in either the specific environment in which locomotor activity was tested or in their home cages demonstrated equivalent levels of locomotor activity during subsequent testing 7d later. These data suggest a novel approach to nicotine sensitization using limited nicotine exposure.