RTI uses cookies to offer you the best experience online. By clicking “accept” on this website, you opt in and you agree to the use of cookies. If you would like to know more about how RTI uses cookies and how to manage them please view our Privacy Policy here. You can “opt out” or change your mind by visiting: http://optout.aboutads.info/. Click “accept” to agree.
Rationale Alleviating addiction to tobacco products could prevent millions of deaths. Investigating novel compounds selectively targeting ?4?2 nAChRs hypothesized to have a key role in the rewarding effects of nicotine may be a useful approach for future treatment. Objectives The present study was designed to evaluate 2-fluoro-3-(4-nitrophenyl) deschloroepibatidine (4-nitro-PFEB), a potent competitive antagonist of neuronal ?4?2 nAChRs, in several animal models related to nicotine reward: drug discrimination, intracranial self-stimulation (ICSS), conditioned place preference, and limited access to self-administration. Methods Long Evans rats were trained in a two-lever discrimination procedure to discriminate 0.4 mg/kg nicotine (s.c.) from saline. Male Sprague–Dawley rats were stereotaxically implanted with electrodes and trained to respond for direct electrical stimulation of the medial forebrain bundle. ICR mice were evaluated using an unbiased place preference paradigm, and finally, male Wistar rats were implanted with intrajugular catheters and tested for nicotine self-administration under limited access (1 h/day). Results 4-Nitro-PFEB attenuated the discriminative stimulus effects of nicotine, but alone did not produce nicotine-like discriminative stimulus effects. Nicotine-induced facilitation of ICSS reward thresholds was reversed by 4-nitro-PFEB, which alone had no effect on thresholds. 4-Nitro-PFEB also blocked the conditioned place preference produced by nicotine, but alone had no effect on conditioned place preference. Finally, 4-nitro-PFEB dose-dependently decreased nicotine self-administration. Conclusions These results support the hypothesis that neuronal ?4?2 nAChRs play a key role in mediating the rewarding effects of nicotine and further suggest that targeting ?4?2 nAChRs may yield a potential candidate for the treatment of nicotine dependence.