Behavior Genetics

, Volume 42, Issue 1, pp 133–150 | Cite as

Strain-dependent Effects of Acute, Chronic, and Withdrawal from Chronic Nicotine on Fear Conditioning

  • George S. Portugal
  • Derek S. Wilkinson
  • Justin W. Kenney
  • Colleen Sullivan
  • Thomas J. Gould
Original Research
First Online:
Received:
Accepted:

Abstract

The effects of nicotine on cognitive processes such as learning and memory may play an important role in the addictive liability of tobacco. However, it remains unknown whether genetic variability modulates the effects of nicotine on learning and memory. The present study characterized the effects of acute, chronic, and withdrawal from chronic nicotine administration on fear conditioning, somatic signs, and the elevated plus maze in 8 strains of inbred mice. Strain-dependent effects of acute nicotine and nicotine withdrawal on contextual fear conditioning, somatic signs, and the elevated plus maze were observed, but no association between the effects of acute nicotine and nicotine withdrawal on contextual fear conditioning were observed, suggesting that different genetic substrates may mediate these effects. The identification of genetic factors that may alter the effects of nicotine on cognition may lead to more efficacious treatments for nicotine addiction.

Keywords

Nicotine Genetics Addiction Anxiety Learning Withdrawal 
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Notes

Acknowledgments

The authors would like to acknowledge grant support from the National Institute on Drug Abuse (DA017949 TG; DA024787 TG), and the National Cancer Institute (CA143187 PI: Caryn Lerman PhD), and thank Dr. Randy James of Virginia Commonwealth University for his analysis of plasma samples.

Supplementary material

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Copyright information

© Springer Science+Business Media, LLC 2011

Authors and Affiliations

  • George S. Portugal
    • 1
    • 2
  • Derek S. Wilkinson
    • 1
  • Justin W. Kenney
    • 1
    • 3
  • Colleen Sullivan
    • 1
  • Thomas J. Gould
    • 1
  1. 1.Department of Psychology, Neuroscience ProgramTemple UniversityPhiladelphiaUSA
  2. 2.Department of AnesthesiologyColumbia UniversityNew YorkUSA
  3. 3.School of Biological SciencesUniversity of SouthamptonSouthamptonUK

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