Cigarettes and alcohol: The influence of nicotine on operant alcohol self-administration and the mesolimbic dopamine system

Abstract

Studies in human populations consistently demonstrate an interaction between nicotine and ethanol use, each drug influencing the use of the other. Here we present data and review evidence from animal studies that nicotine influences operant self-administration of ethanol. The operant reinforcement paradigm has proven to be a behaviorally relevant and quantitative model for studying ethanol-seeking behavior. Exposure to nicotine can modify the reinforcing properties of ethanol during different phases of ethanol self-administration, including acquisition, maintenance, and reinstatement. Our data suggest that non-daily intermittent nicotine exposure can trigger a long-lasting increase in ethanol self-administration. The biological basis for interactions between nicotine and ethanol is not well understood but may involve the stress hormone systems and adaptations in the mesolimbic dopamine system. Future studies that combine operant self-administration with techniques for monitoring or manipulating in vivo neurophysiology may provide new insights into the neuronal mechanisms that link nicotine and alcohol use.

Desire to Drink Alcohol is Enhanced with High Caffeine Energy Drink Mixers

“…While these findings might suggest that there is something unique about caffeine in increasing the reinforcing properties of alcohol, it is also possible that all stimulant drugs may have this effect in the presence of alcohol. Most individuals who are dependent on alcohol are also smokers, and nicotine increases the self‐administration dose of alcohol in rodent models (Ostroumov et al., ). Further, it is known that the coadministration of alcohol with cocaine results in the production of a cocaine metabolite, cocaethylene, which is more reinforcing than cocaine alone (Jatlow et al., ; Raven et al., ).…”

Rat animal models for screening medications to treat alcohol use disorders

“…However, operant testing is resource-intense with greater costs in time, materials, and technicians compared with home-cage testing. Many reviews have been written on operant procedures (June and Gilpin, 2010; Lopez and Becker, 2014; Ostroumov et al, 2015; O'Tousa and Grahame, 2014; Rodd et al, 2004b; Samson and Czachowski, 2003; Vendruscolo and Roberts, 2014; Weiss, 2011), so only the basics will be covered here. The removal of the animal from their home-cage environment, transport to a test room, and placing the animal in the operant chamber results in many opportunities for the animal to form associations between environmental stimuli and learning the reinforcement value of ethanol.…”

Ethnopharmacological Applications Targeting Alcohol Abuse: Overview and Outlook

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