title: Chemically evoked hypothermia in the mouse: towards a method for investigating thermodynamic parameters of aging and death in mammals.
abstract: Any thermodynamic study of aging and death in laboratory mammals is dependent on techniques which would allow for the chronic manipulation of the core body temperature of these organisms. Accordingly, the hypothermic response after parenteral administration of chlorpromazine, L-dopa, reserpine, and p-chlorophenylalanine was investigated in the mouse. Mice injected at 24 hour intervals with chlorpromazine exhibited a diminished response (tolerance) with repeated administration. The degree of induced hypothermia and resistance to tolerance was greater in male mice than in femal mice. L-dopa was unable to potentiate chlorpromazine hypothermia but did evoke a non-adapting hypothermic response when administered alone. Reserpine also evoked a non-adapting hypothermia. Further, animals treated with small doses of reserpine exhibited an increasing response with repeated injections. p-Chlorophenylalanine induced hypothermay that became intermittent with successive administration. The results presented here indicate that both reserpine and L-dopa would be of value as hypothermic agents in long term investigations.
mesh_terms: D000222:Adaptation, Physiological / Q000187:drug effects; D000375:Aging; D000818:Animals; D002746:Chlorpromazine; D004357:Drug Synergism; D005260:Female; D010134:Fenclonine; D007035:Hypothermia / Q000139:chemically induced*; D007980:Levodopa; D008297:Male; D008722:Methods; D051379:Mice; D008813:Mice, Inbred ICR; D012110:Reserpine; D012737:Sex Factors; D013816:Thermodynamics
chemical_list: D007980:Levodopa; D012110:Reserpine; D010134:Fenclonine; D002746:Chlorpromazine