Involvement of nicotinic acetylcholine receptors in the regulation of alcohol drinking in Wistar rats

The aim of the present study was to determine if nicotinic acetylcholine re ceptors (nAChRs) might be involved in the regulation of alcohol intake by W istar rats. A non-selective nAChR agonist, nicotine, and a non-competitive nAChR antagonist, mecamylamine, were tested in alcohol-preferring Wistar ra ts maintained on a limited access (4 h/24 h) to ethanol (10%, v/v). In addi tion, the effects of nicotine and mecamylamine on intake of standard labora tory chow were studied in a separate control experiment. Nicotine (0.1-0.6 mg/kg, s.c.) decreased ethanol consumption, but had no effect on food intak e. In contrast, mecamylamine (1-3 mg/kg, s.c.) did not alter ethanol drinki ng even at the dose (3 mg/kg) which significantly decreased food intake. Th ese results suggest that activation of nAChRs may selectively reduce ethano l consumption in outbred Wistar rats.