Establishment and evaluation of a nicotine-treatment and-withdrawal rat model / 第二军医大学学报

ABSTRACT

Objective:To establish a nicotine-treatment and-withdrawal rat model and to evaluate its characteristics and application through analyzing 3 parameters.Methods:Male Sprague-Dawley rats,aged 10-11 weeks old,were randomly divided into normal saline group(subcutaneous injection of saline [0.5 ml/kg] for 6 weeks),nicotine-treated group(injection with nicotine [0.5 ml/kg,3 mg/(kg?d)] for 6 weeks),and nicotine-withdrawn group(injection with nicotine [0.5 ml/kg,3 mg/(kg?d)] for 3 weeks and followed by saline injection for additional 3 weeks).Body weight,food intake,and water intake of animals were recorded during the treatment in 3 groups.The model was evaluated through analyzing body weight,serum parameters and adipose tissue weights.Results:The body weight of rats,as well as the serum levels of triglyceride and insulin,were all decreased after nicotine treatment;the weights of subcutaneous fat,visceral fat and periaortic fat were also decreased.The above indicators increased after withdrawal of nicotine.Conclusion:The established model can be used to study multiple pharmacological effects of nicotine;it can also be used for smoking and smoking cessation related studies.