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Nicotine-induced grooming: a possible dopaminergic and/or cholinergic mechanism

Department of Pharmacology, School of Medicine, Tehran University of Medical Sciences and Shohada Hospital, Shahid-Beheshti University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran

F. Sedaghati

Department of Pharmacology, School of Medicine, Tehran University of Medical Sciences and Shohada Hospital, Shahid-Beheshti University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran

F. Borzouyeh

Department of Pharmacology, School of Medicine, Tehran University of Medical Sciences and Shohada Hospital, Shahid-Beheshti University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran

The ability of nicotine, to induce grooming in rats was studied. Grooming was induced by i.p. injection of different doses (0.0675-0.5 mg/kg) of nicotine to rats. The effect was dose-dependent. However, the response was decreased with increasing doses of the drug from 0.25-0.5 mg/kg. Administration of the dopamine (DA) D ₁/D₂ receptor agonist apomorphine (0.025-5 mg/kg, i.p.) also caused grooming in a dose-dependent manner. High doses of apomorphine (0.1-0.5 mg/kg, i.p.) also induced a lower degree of response. Combination of a low dose of nicotine (0.0675 mg/kg) with different doses of apomorphine did not show any interaction. However, there was an interaction between a high dose of nicotine and apomorphine. Thus, combination of a higher dose of nicotine (0.125 mg/kg) with apomorphine, reduced apomorphine-induced grooming.

The muscarinic receptor antagonist atropine (5 and 10 mg/kg), peripheral nicotinic receptor antagonist hexamethonium (5 and 10 mg/kg), central nicotinic receptor antagonist mecamylamine (1 and 3 mg/kg) and D₁ DA receptor antagonist SCH23390 (0.05 and 0.1 mg/kg) all decreased the response to nicotine. Atropine, mecamylamine and SCH23390 by themselves reduced spontaneous grooming. It is concluded that nicotine elicits grooming indirectly through a possible D₁ dopaminergic mechanism. However, muscarinic and nicotinic cholinergic mechanism(s) may be involved.

Key Words: apomorphine • atropine • grooming • hexamethonium • mecamylamine • nicotine • rats • SCH23390

Journal of Psychopharmacology, Vol. 12, No. 4, 375-379 (1998)
DOI: 10.1177/026988119801200408


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