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THERMOREGULATORY EFFECTS OF METHANOL IN FISCHER AND LONG EVANS RATS
Citation:
Mohler, F. AND C. Gordon. THERMOREGULATORY EFFECTS OF METHANOL IN FISCHER AND LONG EVANS RATS. U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Washington, D.C., EPA/600/J-90/016 (NTIS PB90217431), 1990.
Description:
While methanol neurotoxicity has been studied for decades, there are very few data available on the thermoregulatory effects of methanol exposure. his paper will present the results of three studies designed to assess the effects of methanol on body temperature and behavioral thermoregulation in Fischer and Long Evans rats. he first study measured the onset of body temperature changes following methanol exposure. ollowing gavage of 3 g/kg methanol (20% w/v in saline), brain temperature (Tbr) of Fischer rats decreased l.5 degrees C within 35 min. imilar volume of saline led to transient increases in Tbr. econd study assessed the time course of changes in body temperature by measuring colonic temperature (Tc) hourly following i.p. injection of saline or 1 or 3 g/kg methanol. he highest dosage of methanol caused a significant hypothermia in both Fischer and Long Evans rats. he hypothermia reached its nadir in both strains at 1-2 hours and partially recovered within the 6 hour experiment. he third study measured the effects of methanol on behavioral thermoregulation. ischer and Long Evans rats were gavaged with saline or 1-3 g/kg methanol and placed in a temperature gradient. fter 90 min in the gradient, rats of both strains which received 2 or 3 g/kg methanol had a significantly lower Tc than control rats. owever, the methanol-treated rats remained in the cool end of the gradient and did not prevent the hypothermic effect of the alcohol. he absence of an observed effect on behavioral temperature selection suggests that methanol may interfere with thermal sensation.