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Sex differences in the effect of wheel running on subsequent nicotine-seeking in a rat adolescent-onset self-administration model

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Abstract

Rationale

Wheel running attenuates nicotine-seeking in male adolescent rats; however, it is not known if this effect extends to females.

Objective

To determine if wheel running during abstinence would differentially attenuate subsequent nicotine-seeking in male and female rats that had extended access to nicotine self-administration during adolescence.

Methods

Male (n = 49) and female (n = 43) adolescent rats self-administered saline or nicotine (5 μg/kg) under an extended access (23-h) paradigm. Following the last self-administration session, rats were moved to polycarbonate cages for an abstinence period where they either had access to a locked or unlocked running wheel for 2 h/day. Subsequently, nicotine-seeking was examined under a within-session extinction/cue-induced reinstatement paradigm. Due to low levels of nicotine-seeking in females in both wheel groups, additional groups were included that were housed without access to a running wheel during abstinence.

Results

Females self-administered more nicotine as compared to males; however, within males and females, intake did not differ between groups prior to wheel assignment. Compared to saline controls, males and females that self-administered nicotine showed a significant increase in drug-seeking during extinction. Wheel running during abstinence attenuated nicotine-seeking during extinction in males. In females, access to either locked or unlocked wheels attenuated nicotine-seeking during extinction. While responding was reinstated by cues in both males and females, levels were modest and not significantly affected by exercise in this adolescent-onset model.

Conclusions

While wheel running reduced subsequent nicotine-seeking in males, access to a wheel, either locked or unlocked, was sufficient to suppress nicotine-seeking in females.

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Acknowledgements

This work was supported by grants from Virginia Foundation for Healthy Youth 8520667 and 8520893 (D.H.B.), NIDA RO1DA024716-F1 (W.J.L.), and NIH training grant T32 HD007323 (V.S.) and NIDA F31 DA033087 (V.S.)

Conflict of interest

The authors have no conflicts of interest to disclose.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Psychiatry and Neurobehavioral Sciences, University of Virginia, 1670 Discovery Drive, Suite 110, Charlottesville, VA, 22911, USA

    Victoria Sanchez, Catherine F. Moore & Wendy J. Lynch

  2. Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, Interdepartmental Neuroscience Program, Institute for Drug and Alcohol Studies, Virginia Commonwealth University, PO Box 980613, 410 N. 12th St., Richmond, VA, 23298, USA

    Darlene H. Brunzell

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  1. Victoria Sanchez
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  2. Catherine F. Moore
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  4. Wendy J. Lynch
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Correspondence to Wendy J. Lynch.

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Sanchez, V., Moore, C.F., Brunzell, D.H. et al. Sex differences in the effect of wheel running on subsequent nicotine-seeking in a rat adolescent-onset self-administration model. Psychopharmacology 231, 1753–1762 (2014). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00213-013-3359-3

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00213-013-3359-3

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