Cannabinoid receptor ligands suppress memory-related effects of nicotine in the elevated plus maze test in mice

The purpose of the experiments was to examine the memory-related effects of nicotine using the mouse elevated plus maze. It has been shown that the acute doses of nicotine (0.1 and 0.5 mg/kg) significantly decreased the time of transfer latency (TL2) on the retention trial, indicating that nicotine improved memory processes. Similarly, acute doses of the CB1 cannabinoid receptor antagonist AM 251 (0.5, 1, 1.5 and 3 mg/kg) significantly decreased TL2 values. WIN55,212-2, a non-selective CB cannabinoid receptor agonist, at any dose tested (0.25, 0.5 and 1 mg/kg), did not provoke any effect in this model. Moreover, the acute injection of both WIN55,212-2 (0.25 and 0.5 mg/kg) and AM 251 (0.25 mg/kg), prior to injections of nicotine (0.1 and 0.5 mg/kg), significantly prevented nicotine-induced memory improvement. The results of this study provide clear evidence that the endogenous cannabinoid system participates in the responses induced by nicotine on memory-related behaviour in mice.