Hyunchan Lee1, Minji Jang1, Woonhee Kim1, Jihyun Noh2. 1. Department of Science Education, Dankook University, 152 Jukjeon-ro, Suji-gu, Yongin-si, Gyeonggi-do, 16890, Republic of Korea. 2. Department of Science Education, Dankook University, 152 Jukjeon-ro, Suji-gu, Yongin-si, Gyeonggi-do, 16890, Republic of Korea. jihyun2@dankook.ac.kr.
Abstract
RATIONALE: Tobacco smoking occurs in a wide array of social circumstances. Social support for quitting is generally used to stop smoking, while peer interactions may be a crucial factor in triggering tobacco use among adolescents. OBJECTIVES: To determine the role of social factors on nicotine dependence, we compared single- and pair-housed rats subjected to voluntary oral nicotine consumption tests. METHODS: Six-week-old adolescent rats were subjected to experimental procedures and assigned to one of the following groups: a male single group, a male pair group with a sibling, a female single group, and a female pair group with a sibling. To measure voluntary nicotine intake, we adopted a two-bottle free-choice paradigm for each two days using 25 μg/ml and 100 μg/ml nicotine solution. RESULTS: There were no differences in change in body weight or food intake between the two groups of either sex. Pair-housed female rats showed a reduction in nicotine consumption and preference for both low- and high-dose nicotine solution, while pair-housed male rats showed only reduced consumption and preference for high-dose nicotine solution, but not low-dose solution, as compared to single-housed male rats. CONCLUSIONS: Nicotine consumption is sex-dependently controlled by the social circumstances of rats. This study broadens our perspectives on the role of social interactions as a therapeutic strategy to treat nicotine addiction-related behaviors depending on sex.
RATIONALE: Tobacco smoking occurs in a wide array of social circumstances. Social support for quitting is generally used to stop smoking, while peer interactions may be a crucial factor in triggering tobacco use among adolescents. OBJECTIVES: To determine the role of social factors on nicotine dependence, we compared single- and pair-housed rats subjected to voluntary oral nicotine consumption tests. METHODS: Six-week-old adolescent rats were subjected to experimental procedures and assigned to one of the following groups: a male single group, a male pair group with a sibling, a female single group, and a female pair group with a sibling. To measure voluntary nicotine intake, we adopted a two-bottle free-choice paradigm for each two days using 25 μg/ml and 100 μg/ml nicotine solution. RESULTS: There were no differences in change in body weight or food intake between the two groups of either sex. Pair-housed female rats showed a reduction in nicotine consumption and preference for both low- and high-dose nicotine solution, while pair-housed male rats showed only reduced consumption and preference for high-dose nicotine solution, but not low-dose solution, as compared to single-housed male rats. CONCLUSIONS:Nicotine consumption is sex-dependently controlled by the social circumstances of rats. This study broadens our perspectives on the role of social interactions as a therapeutic strategy to treat nicotine addiction-related behaviors depending on sex.
Entities:
Keywords:
Adolescence; Mice; Self-administration; Social buffering; Social reward; Social tie