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 receptors (nAChRs) might be involved in the regulation of alcohol intake by Wistar rats. A non-selective nAChR agonist, nicotine, and a non-competitive nAChR antagonist, mecamylamine, were tested in alcohol-preferring Wistar rats maintained on a limited access (4 h/24 h) to ethanol (10%, v/v). In addition, the effects of nicotine and mecamylamine on intake of standard laboratory 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 intake. In contrast, mecamylamine (1-3 mg/kg, s.c.) did not alter ethanol drinking even at the dose (3 mg/kg) which significantly decreased food intake. These results suggest that activation of nAChRs may selectively reduce ethanol consumption in outbred Wistar rats.