Mem. Benwell et Djk. Balfour, THE INFLUENCE OF LOBELINE ON NUCLEUS-ACCUMBENS DOPAMINE AND LOCOMOTORRESPONSES TO NICOTINE IN NICOTINE-PRETREATED RATS, British Journal of Pharmacology, 125(6), 1998, pp. 1115-1119
1 In vivo brain microdialysis was used to investigate the influence of
lobeline on dopamine (DA) and dihydroxyphenylacetic acid (DOPAC) over
flow in the core of the nucleus accumbens of freely-moving rats pretre
ated with nicotine (0.4 mg kg(-1), s.c., once per day for 5 days). Loc
omotion was also recorded. 2 Lobeline, at doses of 0.7, 4.0 and 10.0 m
g kg(-1), i.p., failed to elicit any significant changes in extracellu
lar dopamine or dihydroxyphenylacetic acid levels during the 60 min fo
llowing its administration and did not stimulate locomotor. 3 The dopa
mine responses to nicotine (0.4 mg kg(-1), s.c.), were abolished (P<0.
01) if the nicotine challenge was administered 10 min but not 60 min,
after lobeline doses of 4.0 and 10.0 mg kg(-1), i.p., but were unaffec
ted following lobeline at the lowest dose tested (0.7 mg kg(-1), i.p.)
at either time. The increase in locomotor activity was significantly
attenuated (P<0.01), to a similar extent, when the nicotine was inject
ed 10 min, but not 60 min, after all three doses of lobeline (0.7, 4.0
and 10.0 mg kg(-1) i.p.) when compared with the saline-treated rats.
4 The results suggest that lobeline is a short-acting antagonist of th
e nicotinic AChRs which mediate the effects of nicotine on mesolimbic
dopamine activity and locomotor stimulation.