Date of Award

2016-01-01

Degree Name

Doctor of Philosophy

Department

Psychology

Advisor(s)

Laura E. O'Dell

Abstract

Introduction: The present study utilized a rodent model of diabetes to examine the rewarding effects of nicotine as well as negative affective states and physical signs of withdrawal from this drug. Methods: Separate groups of rats received systemic administration of vehicle or streptozotocin (STZ), which destroys the insulin-producing beta cells in the pancreas and elevates plasma glucose levels. Place conditioning procedures were utilized to compare the rewarding effects of various doses of nicotine (conditioned place preference; CPP) and the aversive effects of nicotine withdrawal (conditioned place aversion; CPA) in vehicle- and STZ-treated rats. CPA and physical signs of withdrawal were compared following administration of the nicotine receptor antagonist mecamylamine to precipitate withdrawal in rats that had received nicotine exposure for 7-14 days. Control rats received a sham surgical procedure. A subsequent study compared anxiety-like behavior produced by nicotine withdrawal in vehicle- and STZ-treated rats. Anxiety-like behavior was assessed using the elevated plus maze (EPM) and light-dark transfer (LDT) tests. Results: STZ-treated rats displayed CPP across a wider dose range of nicotine and a larger magnitude of CPA produced by withdrawal as compared to controls. STZ-treated rats also displayed significantly higher levels of physical signs of withdrawal as compared to controls. STZ-treated rats also displayed higher levels of anxiety-like behavior produced by nicotine withdrawal on both the EPM and LDT tests. Conclusion: Our findings suggest that both nicotine reward and withdrawal from this drug are enhanced in a rodent model of diabetes. Our findings imply that the strong behavioral effects of nicotine promote tobacco use in persons with metabolic disorders, such as diabetes.

Language

en

Provenance

Received from ProQuest

File Size

62 pages

File Format

application/pdf

Rights Holder

Joseph Allan Pipkin

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