Developmental Exposure to Nicotine

描述：（由申请人提供）这是一个R21应用程序，以探索 建立动物模型，研究父母和青春期周围的影响 暴露于尼古丁。尼古丁仍然是世界范围内滥用的一种重要药物。在 美国（U.S.），烟草使用是唯一可预防的 死亡之然而，尽管有相当多的负面宣传和健康警告， 大约25%的美国人仍然吸烟。除了 尼古丁对成年机体产生深远的行为影响， 扰乱了许多物种的发育过程最近的流行病学数据 表明胎儿暴露于尼古丁会增加吸烟的风险 在青春期和成年期，尤其是女性。此外，75 %的成年烟草使用者报告他们第一次使用烟草是在 他们是“青少年”（童年或青春期）。为了研究这个问题 此外，以及开发动物模型，以阐明潜在的 潜在的机制，怀孕期间尼古丁暴露对 成年雄性和雌性大鼠后代的尼古丁自我给药将 研究了此外，尼古丁暴露的影响， 成年后代在青春期前后自我给予尼古丁， 确定。据推测，子宫内尼古丁暴露将 增加成年后代尼古丁自我给药。同样地， 青春期暴露于尼古丁也会增加尼古丁 成年期的自我管理。拟议的研究将描述 在关键时期暴露于尼古丁与 发展和获取、维持、消亡和重新启动 尼古丁自我给药阶段。这些实验的结果应该 提供了新的和重要的见解之间的关系， 暴露和尼古丁寻求行为。此外，由于尼古丁 被认为是随后使用酒精和其他药物的“入门”药物 建议的研究结果将奠定基础， 进一步了解可能增加易受毒品伤害性的因素 成瘾，尤其是尼古丁滥用。

DESCRIPTION: (provided by applicant) This is an R21 application to explore the development of an animal model to study the effects of parental and peripuberal exposure to nicotine. Nicotine remains an important drug of abuse worldwide. In the United States (U.S.), tobacco use is the single leading preventable cause of death. However, despite considerable negative publicity and health warnings, approximately 25 percent of the U.S. population still smoke. Aside from producing profound behavioral effects in the adult organism, nicotine also disrupts developmental processes in many species. Recent epidemiologic data suggest that fetal exposure to nicotine increases the risk for tobacco use during adolescence and adulthood, particularly in females. In addition, 75 percent of adult tobacco users report their first tobacco use occurred when they were "youngsters" (childhood or adolescence). In order to study this issue further, as well as to develop an animal model to elucidate potential underlying mechanisms, the effects of nicotine exposure during gestation on nicotine self-administration in adult male and female rat offspring will be studied. In addition, the effects of nicotine exposure during the periadolescent period on nicotine self-administration in adult offspring will be ascertained. It is hypothesized that nicotine exposure in utero will increase nicotine self-administration in adult offspring. Similarly, peripuberal exposure to nicotine also will increase nicotine self-administration during adulthood. The proposed studies will characterize the relationships between exposure to nicotine during critical periods of development and the acquisition, maintenance, extinction and re-initiation phases of nicotine self-administration. The results of these experiments should provide new and important insights on the relationships between prior nicotine exposure and nicotine-seeking behavior. In addition, since nicotine is considered as a "gateway" drug for the subsequent use of alcohol and other illicit drugs, the results of the proposed studies will lay the groundwork to further understand the factors which might increase vulnerability to drug addictions in general, and to nicotine abuse, in particular.