The effect of chronic nicotine administration on bone mineral content in mice.

Tobacco use has been identified as being a risk factor for the development of osteoporosis. To elucidate the effect of nicotine on bone metabolism we examined 8 intact and 8 castrated mice treated for 56 days with nicotine in drinking water and compared with the same number of mice acting as controls. The mineral bone mass in the femora of the animals was measured quantitatively. A significant reduction of bone density and bone mineral content was found in the nicotine treated animals compared to animals without nicotine. Nicotine itself does not exert any antiandrogenic effect, and it does not produce changes in the weight of seminal vesicles.