A new subcutaneously-implantable reservoir for sustained release of nicotine in the rat

A subcutaneously-implantable reservoir for the sustained release of nicotine is described. The device, dubbed INR for Implantable Nicotine Reservoir, is a small glass cup sealed with Silastic^® polymer. It releases 3.4 mg of nicotine per 24 hours. When implanted into moderately-sized female Sprague-Dawley rats it produces blood nicotine levels of 400–500 ng/ml which remain relatively stable over at least 18 days. INRs are nontoxic, reproducible, inexpensive, and adaptable for pharmacological and toxicological studies in rats and other small animals.