Attenuation by baclofen of nicotine rewarding properties and nicotine withdrawal manifestations

Rationale

Nicotine is a major active ingredient in tobacco and plays a major role in tobacco addiction. In rodents, repeated nicotine administration produces behavioral responses related to its addictive properties, such as reinforcing effects and physical dependence.

Objectives

The aim of the present study was to evaluate the possible role of GABA_B receptor in responses induced by repeated nicotine administration in Swiss Webster mice.

Results

Nicotine hydrogen tartrate salt (0.5 mg/kg, s.c.) administration induced rewarding properties in the conditioning place preference test. The GABA_B receptor agonist, baclofen (3 mg/kg, i.p.) abolished the rewarding properties induced by nicotine hydrogen tartrate salt (0.5 mg/kg, s.c.). In addition, naloxone-precipitated nicotine withdrawal induced somatic manifestations, anxiety-like effects in the elevated plus maze test and dysphoric manifestations in the conditioned place aversion paradigm. Baclofen (2 and 3 mg/kg, i.p.) prevented the somatic manifestations and the anxiety-like effects associated with naloxone-precipitated nicotine withdrawal but not the dysphoric manifestations.

Conclusions

These results showed that nicotine rewarding properties and negative aspects of nicotine withdrawal, such as anxiety-like effects and somatic manifestations, can be modulated by the GABA_B receptor activity. This study now reveals a novel possible application of baclofen to develop new therapeutic strategies to achieve smoking cessation.