160EVALUATION OF ANTIDEPRESSANT ACTION OF INHALED NICOTINE IN RATSNicotine may have antidepressant properties and smokers self-medicate underlying depression. Epidemiological findings suggest that smokers more often demonstrate depressive symptoms than non-smokers and depressed patients are less likely to cease smoking. To evaluate the effect of nicotine administered by inhalation route with single dose and seven dayscombination therapy with imipramine in learned helplessness model in rats. Learned helplessness model is a standard model for evaluation of antidepressant drugs. The results were expressed as percentage of animals showing presence of escape response. In this model, results were expressed as percentage of animals showing presence of escape response. Combination of single dose of nicotine by inhalation route and imipramine (7days) showed no additive effect on escape response in rats. However, combination of seven days administration of nicotine by inhalation route and imipramine (7days) showed additive effect on escape response. It was observed that combination dose of imipramine with nicotine by inhalation route given for single as well as 7 consecutive days significantly exhibited antidepressant action by increasing percentage of escape responserajbhojsatkar1@rediffmail.comResearch922019Nicotine,Imipramine,Antidepressant,InhalationRahul Bhalsinge,Satkar Rajbhoj,Anita Barde,Shraddha Yadav,Nimish Narkar,A.V.TilakDepartment of Pharmacology, L N Medical College & Research Centre, Kolar Road, Bhopal, India.,Department of Pharmacology, Dr.D.Y.Patil Medical College, Dr.D.Y.Patil Vidyapeeth, Pune, India.,Department of Pharmacology, Dr.D.Y.Patil Medical College, Dr.D.Y.Patil Vidyapeeth, Pune, India.,Department of Pharmacology, Dr.D.Y.Patil Medical College, Dr.D.Y.Patil Vidyapeeth, Pune, India.,Department of Pharmacology, Dr.D.Y.Patil Medical College, Dr.D.Y.Patil Vidyapeeth, Pune, India.,Department of Pharmacology, Dr.D.Y.Patil Medical College, Dr.D.Y.Patil Vidyapeeth, Pune, India.