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Individual Differences in Voluntary Self-Administration of Oral Nicotine in Female Rats
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by Kimberley B. Boyett, Amy R. Pearce and Kris D. Biondolillo - Arkansas State University
Category: Health
Eight adult female Sprague Dawley rats had free access to both a nicotine solution and distilled water. At no time were rats deprived of food, water, or forcefully exposed to nicotine. Individual consumption patterns emerged with some animals drinking little nicotine solution and others preferring it over water. Results suggest that providing a nicotine solution of 1μg/ml nicotine hydrogen tartrate salt (SigmaAldrich) continuously in the home cage is sufficient to establish voluntary self-administration of nicotine in some rats. Further, this method of nicotine self-administration is promising and yields the kind of individual nicotine intake patterns seen in human tobacco users.
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Faculty Supervisor: Amy R. Pearce, Arkansas State University