Effect of nicotine treatment on the metabolism of nicotine in the mouse liver in vitro.

14C-nicotine was incubated with a 10000 × g supernatant fraction of liver homogenate from mice pretreated with nicotine for 3, 10 and 17 days respectively. The rate of metabolism was measured by the determination of the oxidative nicotine metabolite cotinine. After intraperitoneal injections of 5 mg/kg of nicotine three times daily for three days a 50% significant decrease in metabolism was observed. A 71% significant decrease in hepatic glycogen was also seen. Giving nicotine 27.8 and 24.5 mg/kg/24 hours in drinking water for 10 and 17 days respectively did not significantly change the metabolism or the hepatic glycogen levels.