Long-term effects of adolescent versus adult nicotine self-administration on cholinergic modulation of dopamine in the nucleus accumbens core.

ABSTRACT: Adolescence is a developmental period marked by significant alterations to brain neurobiology and behavior. Adolescent nicotine use disrupts developmental trajectories and increases vulnerability to maladaptive drug-taking in adulthood. The mesolimbic dopamine (DA) system, including the nucleus accumbens core (NAc), mediates the reinforcing effects of nicotine. While dopaminergic reorganization is necessary for the transition into adulthood, how adolescent nicotine exposure affects cholinergic modulation of adult NAc DA dynamics is less understood. Here, we use 12 days of intravenous self-administration (SA) and ex vivo fast-scan cyclic voltammetry (FSCV) to explore the effects of adolescent (P31-42) versus adult (P63-75) nicotine (0.03mg/kg/infusion) intake on DA dynamics following three

SUBMITTER: Iacino MC 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC12450034 | biostudies-literature | 2025 Mar

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature