Nicotine (NC)-induced “depressive” behavioral symptoms and effects of antidepressants including cannabinoids (CBs)

Depression is one of the frequently-observed psychiatric symptoms associated with nicotine (NC) use. In the present study, considering the unique effects of NC (e.g. antidepressant effects have also been reported), the time course of the NC-induced depressive behavioral alterations in a mouse model was compared with a typical depression-inducing stressor. Furthermore, based on the involvement of cannabinoid (CB) receptors in the behavioral effects of NC, the effects of antidepressants including CB ligands (CBs) against the NC-induced behavioral alterations were also investigated. Repeated subcutaneous NC treatments (0.3 mg/kg, 4 days), like repeated immobilization stress (IM) treatments (10 min, 4 days), caused prolonged depressive effects (increased immobility time) at both 2 hr and 1 day time points after the last treatment in the tail suspension test. However, in the NC group, depressive effects (suppressed swimming behaviors) were observed only at the 2 hr time point in the forced swimming test. The antidepressants amitriptyline, clomipramine and fluvoxamine, the endogenous mixed CB agonist/antagonist virodhamine and the anandamide-like cannabimimetic O-2093 provided antagonistic effects against the depressive behaviors in the tail suspension test. However, in the forced swimming test, NC-induced depressive behaviors were antagonized only by the CBs virodhamine and O-2093. The present results demonstrated depressive effects of NC in two typical behavioral tests, which support the risk of repeated NC use. The shortened behavioral alterations in the forced swimming test, as compared to the IM group, seemed to reflect the neuronal modifications peculiar to NC, which are antagonized by some CBs.