Estradiol promotes and progesterone reduces anxiety-like behavior produced by nicotine withdrawal in female rats.

•Females displayed greater anxiety-like behavior during nicotine withdrawal than male and OVX rats.•Females in the estrus phase displayed less nicotine withdrawal severity.•Females displaying high E2/low progesterone showed the greatest nicotine withdrawal severity.•E2 supplementation in OVX rats restored nicotine withdrawal severity to intact female levels.