Nicotine's Effects on Schizophrenia-like Symptoms in a Mice Model: Time Matters.
Brain sciences August 25, 2024 Ana Carolina Dutra-Tavares, Luciana Araújo Couto, Thainá P Souza et al.
In a mouse model of schizophrenia induced by phencyclidine, the order in which nicotine (a surrogate for smoking) is introduced matters for the behavioral outcomes. Nicotine given before phencyclidine potentiated locomotor sensitization, a behavior linked to psychosis. Nicotine given after phencyclidine worsened a schizophrenia-like deficit in pre-pulse inhibition, but only in male mice. Neither sequence affected rearing, a control behavior. The findings suggest that whether smoking precedes schizophrenia or vice versa produces distinct effects on the brain and behavior, which may help identify mechanisms underlying the high comorbidity between smoking and schizophrenia.