Tobacco Cembranoids Block the Expression of the Behavioral Sensitization to Nicotine

Dr. Pedro A. Ferchmin

A further study about behavioral interaction between 4R and nicotine is near completion with the MS student Yania Nicolau. She expanded her previous studies done manually [1] using the Noldus equipment in the BTF. Using this equipment she described the interaction between 4R and the first injection of nicotine. The data suggests that 4R might be an enhancer of the initial malaise often experienced by fist time smokers. This finding might be of importance as 4R could be a deterrent that discourages first time smokers. More studies will have to be done including several controls. Yania Nicolau also studied the effect 4R on the acquisition and expression of nicotine sensitization. The results suggested that nicotine-enhanced exploration is novelty dependent. The effect of novelty on induction and expression of nicotine sensitization will have to be further studied. In experimental conditions in which novelty enhanced the expression of nicotine sensitization 4R acted as inhibitor of sensitization without affecting the locomotor activity in controls. We hypothesize that 4R might affect cocaine sensitization. This will be tested in collaboration with Dr. Jimenez. Nicotine and 4R are neuroprotective in vitro [1, 2] using acute hippocampal slices. We propose to test whether animals treated in vivo with those drugs will show neuroprotection in ex vivo slices