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Nicotine suppresses the P13 auditory evoked potential by acting on the pedunculopontine nucleus in the rat

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Abstract

We identified a potential novel site of action for nicotine (NIC) since (a) systemic injection of NIC led to a dose-dependent decrease in the amplitude of the sleep state-dependent, vertex-recorded, P13 midlatency auditory evoked potential (generated by the reticular activating system, RAS), (b) localized injections of a nicotinic receptor antagonist into the pedunculopontine nucleus (PPN, the cholinergic arm of the RAS) blocked the effects of systemic NIC on the P13 potential (a measure of level of arousal), and (c) localized injection of a nicotinic receptor agonist into the PPN also led to a decrease in the amplitude of the P13 potential, an effect blocked by PPN injection of a nicotinic receptor antagonist. There were minor changes in the manifestation of the startle response (SR) at the concentrations used; however, NIC did decrease the hippocampal N40 potential, although its effects were not affected by antagonist or agonist injections into the PPN. These results suggest a potential mechanism underlying the anxiolytic effects of NIC—suppression of the cholinergic arm of the RAS.

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Acknowledgments

Supported by USPHS grants NS20246 and RR20146, and the Arkansas Biosciences Institute.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Center for Translational Neuroscience, Department of Neurobiology & Developmental Sciences, College of Medicine, University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences, Little Rock, AR, 72205, USA

    N. Mamiya, T. Wallace, R. D. Skinner & E. Garcia-Rill

  2. Department of Biological Sciences, Arkansas State University, Little Rock, AR, USA

    R. Buchanan

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  1. N. Mamiya
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  2. R. Buchanan
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  3. T. Wallace
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  4. R. D. Skinner
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  5. E. Garcia-Rill
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Correspondence to E. Garcia-Rill.

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Mamiya, N., Buchanan, R., Wallace, T. et al. Nicotine suppresses the P13 auditory evoked potential by acting on the pedunculopontine nucleus in the rat. Exp Brain Res 164, 109–119 (2005). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00221-005-2219-8

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