Schedule induced self injections of nicotine with recovered body weight.

In a recent series of experiments we have shown that high rates of self injection of nicotine were acquired when rats are at 80% body weight on an FT-1 min food delivery schedule. This rate was significantly higher than that of rats at reduced or normal body weight without food delivery schedules or that of rats injecting saline under three parallel control conditions. In the present experiment naive rats were trained to acquire nicotine self injection at 80% body weight with an FT-1 min food delivery schedule. These rats maintained their self injection rates after they were allowed to regain free feeding body weight. The data indicate that once nicotine intake behavior is established it can be maintained with changing nutritional factors.