The Effect of ph on Taste and Nicotine Consumption in B6 Adolescent Mice
Open Access
Author:
Lathrop, Erin Elizabeth
Area of Honors:
Biobehavioral Health
Degree:
Bachelor of Science
Document Type:
Thesis
Thesis Supervisors:
David John Vandenbergh, Thesis Supervisor David John Vandenbergh, Thesis Honors Advisor Sonia Angele Cavigelli, Faculty Reader
Keywords:
pH nicotine consumption mice drinking taste
Abstract:
Nicotine addiction is a substantial public health problem. Animal models provide important data in understanding the mechanisms of this addiction. Literature has demonstrated that mice, in particular, show some aspects of reward and reinforcement for nicotine by consuming it through their drinking water, but it is generally used as a model of nicotine exposure, not reward. Surprisingly little is known about what factors might be modulated to make nicotine consumption a better model of reward. One of these potential factors is the effect of pH on nicotine taste and consumption, so this thesis explores how mice react to nicotine solutions with a pH of 4.5, 7, and 9. Upon the completion of this nicotine drinking experiment, it is clear that individual differences outweigh any effect of pH on nicotine consumption.
