(-)-NICOTINE PRODUCES CONDITIONED PLACE PREFERENCE IN LEWIS, BUT NOT FISCHER-344 RATS

In this study, we sought to determine if Fischer 344 (F344) and Lewis rats showed different conditioned place preference (CPP) responses to subcutaneously administered (-)-nicotine. Lewis rats displayed a CPP r esponse to (-)-nicotine after five pairings, whereas F344 rats showed no preference for nicotine compared to vehicle. After 10 pairings, the F344 rats showed a conditioned place aversion to (-)-nicotine, wherea s the Lewis rats still displayed a significant CPP response. These res ults suggest that the differences in appetitiveness shown between Lewi s and F344 rats to other drugs of abuse extend also to (-)-nicotine. ( C) 1997 Wiley-Liss, Inc.