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Paper   IPM / Cognitive / 13208
School of Cognitive Sciences
  Title:   Role of the medial septum cholinoceptors in anxiogenic-like effects of nicotine
  Author(s): 
1.  M.R. Zarrindast
2.  R. Tajik
3.  M. Ebrahimi-Ghiri
4.  M. Nasehi
5.  A. Rezayof
  Status:   Published
  Journal: Physiology & Behavior
  Vol.:  119
  Year:  2013
  Pages:   103-109
  Supported by:  IPM
  Abstract:
The medial septum which is extensively connected to the hippocampus is involved in cholinergic theta oscillation control as well as the anxiety related disorders. In the present study, we aimed to investigate the possible involvement of the medial septum cholinoceptors in the nicotine-induced anxiogenic-like behaviors in rats, using the elevated plus-maze (EPM) test. Intraperitoneal administration of nicotine at 0.6 and 0.8 mg/kg, decreased the open-arms time percentage (This however, did not alter the anxiogenic-like response induced by the effective dose of nicotine (0.6 mg/kg). Moreover, co-administration of the subthreshold dose of mecamylamine (2 μg/rat) plus nicotine at the dose of 0.5 or 0.6 mg/kg, increased or decreased the anxiolytic-like behaviors, respectively. On the other hand, sole intra-medial septum infusion of atropine, a muscarinic acetylcholine receptor (mAChR) antagonist, induced an anxiolytic (0.05 μg/rat) and anxiogenic (0.25 μg/rat)-like effects, respectively. The dose of 0.05 μg/rat however, blocked the nicotine response. Furthermore, intra-medial septum microinjection of the highest dose of mecamylamine (4 μg/rat) plus nicotine (0.6 mg/kg) decreased the locomotor activity,while other treatments had no effect on this parameter. Our results suggested that, nicotine-induced anxiogenic-like behaviors may be mediated via the activation of cholinoceptors and possibly other receptor mechanism(s) in the medial septum.

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