Chronic nicotine-induced changes in dopaminergic system: effect on behavioral response to dopamine agonist.

The effect of chronic nicotine on dopamine-agonist-mediated locomotor activity response was measured in BALB/cBy and C57BL/6 mice. Mice were injected twice daily for 10 days with 1.2 mg/kg SC (-)-nicotine di-(+)tartrate. Subsequent locomotor activity response to apomorphine (1 mg/kg SC) was measured. Apomorphine induced hypomotility in both strains of mice, with the BALB/cBy mice showing a greater hypomotility compared to the C57BL/6 mice. The response to apomorphine was attenuated in both strains of mice that were treated previously with repeated injections of nicotine. The results suggest that chronic nicotine may induce changes in the dopaminergic system, which is reflected in altered behavioral response to a dopamine agonist.