Nicotine pretreatment diminished physostigmine-induced tremor in rats

Pharmacol Biochem Behav. 2005 Jul;81(3):551-8. doi: 10.1016/j.pbb.2005.04.011.

Abstract

The aim of this work was evaluate the effects of acute and chronic nicotine pretreatment in the physostigmine-induced tremor in rats. Wistar male rats (3-4 months) were pretreated acutely with different nicotine doses (0, 0.1, 0.5 or 1.0 mg/kg) 10 min before physostigmine (0 and 0.5 mg/kg) treatment and then the tremor was registered by computerized system for 10 min. In another group, rats were pretreated acutely with 0.1 mg/kg of nicotine, recovered at different times (30 or 70 min), and were registered for physostigmine-induced tremor. Nicotine was also used chronically with equal doses for 8 days and recovered at 2, 7 or 21 days before registration of physostigmine-induced tremor. Tremor spectral analysis was performed for amplitude and frequency quantification. Our data show that the acute and chronic nicotine pretreatments alter physostigmine spectrum profile. Nicotine decreased physostigmine-induced tremor amplitude (p<0.05), without changing its tremor frequency. In acutely pretreated rats, recovery experiments showed return of physostigmine-induced tremor for control levels after 70 min, but after 8 days of chronic nicotine pretreatment recovery was delayed 3 weeks. The data analysis shows that acute or chronic nicotine administration can alleviate the physostigmine-induced tremor. Chronic nicotine pretreatment has a long tremor alleviation effect of physostigmine-induced tremor. Possible mechanisms involving the nicotine effects on the physostigmine-induced tremor are discussed.

Publication types

  • Comparative Study
  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Animals
  • Dose-Response Relationship, Drug
  • Ganglionic Stimulants / pharmacology
  • Male
  • Nicotine / pharmacology*
  • Physostigmine*
  • Rats
  • Rats, Wistar
  • Time Factors
  • Tremor / chemically induced
  • Tremor / prevention & control*

Substances

  • Ganglionic Stimulants
  • Nicotine
  • Physostigmine