Effects of nicotine on body weight and plasma insulin in female and male rats.

There is an inverse relationship between nicotine and body weight. It has been proposed that this inverse relationship is partially mediated by insulinergic actions, but the effect of nicotine on insulin only has been reported for male rats. The present experiment was designed to examine the effect of nicotine administration on body weight and plasma insulin in female and male rats. In addition, the effects of anesthesia prior to sacrifice on plasma insulin were examined. Nicotine reduced body weight and plasma insulin in female and male rats. In addition, the use of an anesthetic prior to sacrifice was associated with higher plasma insulin levels for male rats. These findings are consistent with the interpretation that insulinergic mechanisms play a role in the nicotine-body weight relationship.