Stimulus mediation, specificity and impact of menthol in rats trained to discriminate puffs of nicotine e-cigarette aerosol from nicotine-free aerosol.

Nicotine aerosol puffs can function as a training stimulus in rats. The stimulus effects were CNS-mediated and receptor specific. Menthol appears to enhance the stimulus effects of nicotine aerosol through a pharmacodynamic rather than pharmacokinetic mechanism.