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Abstract
More than 90% of smokers begin smoking during adolescence, suggesting that nicotine's
actions may differ in adults vs. adolescents in ways that render adolescents vulnerable
to smoking initiation. This experiment tested the hypothesis that nicotine's biobehavioral
actions differ in adult and adolescent rats. Forty-two male (21 adolescents, 21 adults)
and 41 female (21 adolescents, 20 adults) Sprague-Dawley rats were administered saline
or 12 mg/kg/day nicotine via osmotic minipump for 21 days. Body weight, feeding, and
locomotion (horizontal activity, vertical activity, center time) were measured before,
during, and after saline or nicotine administration. Nicotine's effects depended on
age and sex. Nicotine reduced body weight and feeding of adult males and females,
and of adolescent males, but not of adolescent females. In addition, adolescent males
were more sensitive than adults or adolescent females to nicotine's activity-enhancing
effects. In cessation, nicotine-exposed adolescent males continued to exhibit greater
activity than saline-exposed animals. Results indicate that nicotine's biobehavioral
actions differ depending on age and sex.