Adult vs. adolescent rats differ in biobehavioral responses to chronic nicotine administration

More than 90% of smokers begin smoking during adolescence, suggesting that nicotine's actions may differ in adults vs. adolescents in ways that render adolescents vulnerable to smoking initiation. This experiment tested the hypothesis that nicotine's biobehavioral actions differ in adult and adolescent rats. Forty-two male (21 adolescents, 21 adults) and 41 female (21 adolescents, 20 adults) Sprague–Dawley rats were administered saline or 12 mg/kg/day nicotine via osmotic minipump for 21 days. Body weight, feeding, and locomotion (horizontal activity, vertical activity, center time) were measured before, during, and after saline or nicotine administration. Nicotine's effects depended on age and sex. Nicotine reduced body weight and feeding of adult males and females, and of adolescent males, but not of adolescent females. In addition, adolescent males were more sensitive than adults or adolescent females to nicotine's activity-enhancing effects. In cessation, nicotine-exposed adolescent males continued to exhibit greater activity than saline-exposed animals. Results indicate that nicotine's biobehavioral actions differ depending on age and sex.