Chronic nicotine and withdrawal effects on body weight and food and water consumption in female rats.

Female rats were used to examine the effects of chronic nicotine administration and withdrawal on food and water consumption and body weight. Rats with chronic nicotine pellet implants consumed significantly less food and water than controls for the first five days and then gradually returned to control levels of consumption. The lowest level of body weight was reached on day 9 after which there was a slow return to control weights by day 21. When the nicotine pellets were removed from the short-term exposure group on day 14, they showed significant hyperphagia and hyperdipsia and a very rapid weight gain for the next several days, which clearly outpaced the recovery of weight in the long-term nicotine exposure group. These results show that in female rats changes in weight during chronic nicotine administration and withdrawal are accompanied by changes in rates of consumption. In addition, nicotine withdrawal can cause hyperphagia and hyperdipsia even though levels of consumption had previously returned to control levels and even though the route of nicotine administration was not oral.