Cadmium Increases the Sensitivity of Adolescent Female Mice to Nicotine-Related Behavioral Deficits

• Published in: Behavioural neurology 2014-01, Vol.2014 (2014), p.1-10
• Main Authors: Ajonijebu, Duyilemi Chris, Ishola, Azeez Olakunle, Olatunji, Babawale Peter, Adeniyi, Philip Adeyemi, Ogundele, Olalekan Michael
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Addictions; Addictive behaviors; Anatomy & physiology; Animals; Behavior; Body Weight - drug effects; Cadmium; Cadmium - pharmacology; Care and treatment; Cytochrome; Dependence; Drug Interactions; Drug resistance; Eating - drug effects; Female; Females; Health aspects; Health sciences; Males; Maze Learning - drug effects; Medical research; Memory; Memory, Short-Term - drug effects; Mental illness; Mice; Motor Activity - drug effects; Nicotine; Nicotine - pharmacology; Nicotinic Agonists - pharmacology; Pharmacology, Experimental; Rodents; Rotarod Performance Test; Studies; Tobacco smoke; Tobacco Use Disorder - metabolism; Tobacco Use Disorder - physiopathology
• ISSN: 0953-4180; 1875-8584
• DOI: 10.1155/2014/360978

This study investigates spatial and nonspatial working memory, anxiety related behavior, and motor activities in cadmium and/or nicotine exposed female adolescent mice. P28 female adolescent mice (albino strain) were divided into four groups of five (n=5) mice each. A set of mice (Nic) received subcutaneous nicotine (2.0 mg/kg) while a separate set (Cd) was treated with 2.0 mg/kg cadmium (subcutaneous). For the combined treatments of cadmium and nicotine, we administered 2.0 mg/kg Nicotine and 2.0 mg/kg of Cd. Subsequently, a separate group of animals (n=5; control) received normal saline. The total duration of treatment for all groups was 28 days (P28–P56). At P56, the treatment was discontinued, after which the animals were examined in behavioural tests. Nicotine and cadmium increased the metabolism and food intake in the female adolescent mice. This also corresponded to an increase in weight when compared with the control. However, a combined nicotine-cadmium treatment induced a decline in weight of the animals versus the control. Also, nicotine administration increased the motor function, while cadmium and nicotine-cadmium treatment caused a decline in motor activity. Both nicotine and cadmium induced a reduction in memory index; however, nicotine-cadmium treatment induced the most significant decrease in nonspatial working memory.