Effects of dopaminergic nucleus accumbens lesions on the acquisition of schedule induced self injection of nicotine in the rat.

Data from recent experiments show that dopaminergic depletion of the nucleus accumbens septum (NAS) decreases the frequency of schedule induced drinking and wheel running. In the present experiment a group of 8 rats with 6-OHDA lesions in the NAS showed a significantly lower rate of schedule induced nicotine self injection than sham operated controls. These findings extend the number of schedule induced behaviors which appear to depend for their occurrence on an intact dopamine system in the NAS.