STUDIES ON THE BIOCHEMICAL AND BEHAVIORAL-EFFECTS OF ORAL NICOTINE

  • 1 January 1980
    • journal article
    • research article
    • Vol. 245  (1) , 95-103
Abstract
Nicotine is absorbed from inhaled cigarette smoke extremely rapidly such that individual peaks in plasma nicotine levels may be observed ofter each puff of a cigarette by a human. The acute intragastric and chronic oral administration of nicotine had no effect on plasma corticosterone levels on rats although both procedures induced tolerance to the stimulatory effects of acute s.c. nicotine (0.4 mg/kg) on corticosterone secretion. Chronic oral nicotine (5.4 mg/kg/day) also had little effect on brain 5-hydroxyindoles and no changes in plasma corticosterone or brain 5-hydroxyindoles were seen in response to nicotine withdrawal. Oral nicotine was not an adequate substitute in rats made behaviorally dependent upon nicotine injections. The route of administration greatly influences the biochemical and behavioral properties of nicotine.

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