ENDOCRINE RESPONSES DURING ACUTE NICOTINE WITHDRAWAL

Acute administration of nicotine increases cortisol and prolactin but the endocrine effects of tobacco withdrawal are unknown. In a resident ial, double-blind, placebo-controlled, crossover study, volunteers smo ked ad lib for 4 days and underwent monitored tobacco abstinence for 3 days. On no-smoking days, patches delivering 0, 10, 20, or 30 mg nico tine were applied for 16 h. Daily plasma samples were analyzed for ACT H, cortisol, and prolactin. During nicotine abstinence (0 mg patch), c irculating levels of ACTH, cortisol, and prolactin did not significant ly change from ad lib smoking levels. Over all the patch conditions th ere was a significant effect of day, with modest but significant eleva tions of cortisol and ACTH levels on the second no-smoking day (Wed, 3 7 h abstinent). Prolactin levels increased during nicotine abstinence, but this effect was not significant. The observed endocrine changes d id not correlate with physiologic, performance, or subjective measures of tobacco withdrawal. Our data indicate endocrine changes during acu te tobacco withdrawal are transient and small. Thus, the present resul ts do not support the use of ACTH as a treatment for tobacco cessation . Copyright (C) 1996 Elsevier Science Inc.