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Delayed Thermoregulatory Changes in the Immature Rat Following a Single Injection of Ethanol
Author(s) -
Spiers Donald E.,
Fusco Laura E.
Publication year - 1992
Publication title -
alcoholism: clinical and experimental research
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.267
H-Index - 153
eISSN - 1530-0277
pISSN - 0145-6008
DOI - 10.1111/j.1530-0277.1992.tb00633.x
Subject(s) - ethanol , chemistry , biology , biochemistry
Adult rats exhibit rebound hyperthermia within 24 hr following a single injection of ethanol (EtOH). Tests were conducted to determine whether similar changes in thermoregulatory ability occur in the immature rat. Animals were administered saline or EtOH (4 g/kg BW intraperitoneally) at 2 to 3, 8 to 9, or 14 to 15 days of age. Littermates were handled or left undisturbed with the dams to serve as controls, All rats were tested at 24 or 48 hr post‐treatment to measure steady‐state colonic temperature (T co ), tail skin temperature and metabolic rate (MR) at both thermoneutral and cold ambient temperatures (T a s). The youngest group exhibited no delayed change in body temperature or MR at 24 or 48 hr post‐treatment with EtOH. Likewise, thermoregulatory ability of rats pretreated with EtOH at 8 to 9 or 14 to 15 days of age was not significantly different from controls when tested 24 hr post‐treatment at thermoneutral T a . In contrast, T co of EtOH‐treated rats in the two older age groups was 1°C above control level when tested 24 hr post‐treatment at cold T a . This T co response can be explained by differences in heat transfer to the tail and MR. No altered response to cold T a was found at 48 hr postinjection, indicating recovery from the EtOH effect. A single injection with EtOH at 2 to 15 days of age results in a change in T co , which is dependent on postinjection time, age, and T a .