Tobacco-free cigarette smoke exposure induces anxiety and panic-related behaviours in male wistar rats.
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2018
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Abstract
Smokers, who generally present with lung damage, are more anxious than non-smokers and have an
associated augmented risk of panic. Considering that lung damage signals specific neural pathways
that are related to affective responses, the aim of the present study was to evaluate the influence of
pulmonary injury on anxiety and panic-like behaviours in animals exposed to cigarette smoke with
and without tobacco. Male Wistar rats were divided into the following groups: a control group (CG); a
regular cigarette group (RC); and a tobacco-free cigarette (TFC) group. Animals were exposed to twelve
cigarettes per day for eight consecutive days. The animals were then exposed to an elevated T-maze
and an open field. The RC and TFC groups presented increases in inflammatory cell inflow, antioxidant
enzyme activity, and TBARS levels, and a decrease in the GSH/GSSG ratio was observed in the TFC
group. Exposure to RC smoke reduced anxiety and panic-related behaviours. On the other hand, TFC
induced anxiety and panic-related behaviours. Thus, our results contradict the concept that nicotine is
solely accountable for shifted behavioural patterns caused by smoking, in that exposure to TFC smoke
causes anxiety and panic-related behaviours.
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CHÍRICO, M. T. T. et al. Tobacco-free cigarette smoke exposure induces anxiety and panic-related behaviours in male wistar rats. Scientific Reports, v. 8, p. 1-8, 2018. Disponível em: <https://www.nature.com/articles/s41598-018-23425-z>. Acesso em: 05 abr. 2018.