Biomaterial Database

Effects of nicotine, caffeine, and their combination on locomotor activity in rats. 1991

C Cohen, and H Welzl, and K Bättig

NIDA, Addiction Research Center, Baltimore, MD 21224.

The interactive effect of caffeine and nicotine on spontaneous locomotor activity in a tunnel maze was determined in nicotine-naive and nicotine-tolerant rats. Rats were daily injected subcutaneously for 12 days with nicotine (0.4 mg/kg) to induce nicotine tolerance. Nicotine-naive rats were injected with saline. During the next two days, they were exposed to a tunnel maze for two 6-min trials. On the third day, locomotor activity was measured (30-min trial) in the tunnel maze 15 minutes after subcutaneous injection of saline, nicotine (0.2 mg/kg), caffeine (8 mg/kg), or nicotine (0.2 mg/kg) and caffeine (8 mg/kg) in combination. Acute exposure to nicotine decreased locomotor activity in nicotine-naive rats. This decrease was antagonized by simultaneous injection of caffeine. Chronic nicotine exposure induced the development of tolerance to the acute behavioral depressive effects of nicotine. In nicotine-tolerant rats, caffeine and nicotine in combination significantly increased locomotor activity above saline level, whereas given alone they had no significant stimulant effect. Neither chronic nicotine treatment nor acute drug treatments affected exploratory efficiency of rats.

UI	MeSH Term	Description	Entries
D008297	Male		Males
D009043	Motor Activity	Body movements of a human or an animal as a behavioral phenomenon.	Activities, Motor,Activity, Motor,Motor Activities
D009538	Nicotine	Nicotine is highly toxic alkaloid. It is the prototypical agonist at nicotinic cholinergic receptors where it dramatically stimulates neurons and ultimately blocks synaptic transmission. Nicotine is also important medically because of its presence in tobacco smoke.	Nicotine Bitartrate,Nicotine Tartrate
D011919	Rats, Inbred Strains	Genetically identical individuals developed from brother and sister matings which have been carried out for twenty or more generations or by parent x offspring matings carried out with certain restrictions. This also includes animals with a long history of closed colony breeding.	August Rats,Inbred Rat Strains,Inbred Strain of Rat,Inbred Strain of Rats,Inbred Strains of Rats,Rat, Inbred Strain,August Rat,Inbred Rat Strain,Inbred Strain Rat,Inbred Strain Rats,Inbred Strains Rat,Inbred Strains Rats,Rat Inbred Strain,Rat Inbred Strains,Rat Strain, Inbred,Rat Strains, Inbred,Rat, August,Rat, Inbred Strains,Rats Inbred Strain,Rats Inbred Strains,Rats, August,Rats, Inbred Strain,Strain Rat, Inbred,Strain Rats, Inbred,Strain, Inbred Rat,Strains, Inbred Rat
D002110	Caffeine	A methylxanthine naturally occurring in some beverages and also used as a pharmacological agent. Caffeine's most notable pharmacological effect is as a central nervous system stimulant, increasing alertness and producing agitation. It also relaxes SMOOTH MUSCLE, stimulates CARDIAC MUSCLE, stimulates DIURESIS, and appears to be useful in the treatment of some types of headache. Several cellular actions of caffeine have been observed, but it is not entirely clear how each contributes to its pharmacological profile. Among the most important are inhibition of cyclic nucleotide PHOSPHODIESTERASES, antagonism of ADENOSINE RECEPTORS, and modulation of intracellular calcium handling.	1,3,7-Trimethylxanthine,Caffedrine,Coffeinum N,Coffeinum Purrum,Dexitac,Durvitan,No Doz,Percoffedrinol N,Percutaféine,Quick-Pep,Vivarin,Quick Pep,QuickPep
D003071	Cognition	Intellectual or mental process whereby an organism obtains knowledge.	Cognitive Function,Cognitions,Cognitive Functions,Function, Cognitive,Functions, Cognitive
D004347	Drug Interactions	The action of a drug that may affect the activity, metabolism, or toxicity of another drug.	Drug Interaction,Interaction, Drug,Interactions, Drug
D004361	Drug Tolerance	Progressive diminution of the susceptibility of a human or animal to the effects of a drug, resulting from its continued administration. It should be differentiated from DRUG RESISTANCE wherein an organism, disease, or tissue fails to respond to the intended effectiveness of a chemical or drug. It should also be differentiated from MAXIMUM TOLERATED DOSE and NO-OBSERVED-ADVERSE-EFFECT LEVEL.	Drug Tolerances,Tolerance, Drug,Tolerances, Drug
D005106	Exploratory Behavior	The tendency to explore or investigate a novel environment. It is considered a motivation not clearly distinguishable from curiosity.	Curiosity,Novelty-Seeking Behavior,Behavior, Exploratory,Behavior, Novelty-Seeking,Behaviors, Exploratory,Behaviors, Novelty-Seeking,Curiosities,Exploratory Behaviors,Novelty Seeking Behavior,Novelty-Seeking Behaviors
D000818	Animals	Unicellular or multicellular, heterotrophic organisms, that have sensation and the power of voluntary movement. Under the older five kingdom paradigm, Animalia was one of the kingdoms. Under the modern three domain model, Animalia represents one of the many groups in the domain EUKARYOTA.	Animal,Metazoa,Animalia