title: Effect of gastrointestinal flora on body temperature of rats and mice.
abstract: The purpose of these experiments was to test the hypothesis that gut flora influences the body temperature of rodents. Rats and mice were implanted with biotelemetry transmitters that enabled us to record both abdominal temperature and activity for long periods of time. Rats given nonabsorbable antibiotics in their drinking water, which reduced their gut flora, had a marked decrease in both their daytime and nighttime temperatures. Similar results were found with germfree mice. The circadian rhythms in body temperature of germfree and conventionalized mice were not different. However, the body temperatures of the germfree mice were lower than those of the conventionalized mice during both the daytime and nighttime. The decrease in body temperature in the germfree mice was not related to changes in activity. These results support the hypothesis that gut flora has a tonic stimulatory effect on both the daytime and nighttime body temperature of rodents.
authors.affiliation: Department of Physiology, University of Michigan Medical School, Ann Arbor 48109.
authors.forename: M J
authors.initials: MJ
authors.lastname: Kluger
authors.forename: C A
authors.initials: CA
authors.lastname: Conn
authors.forename: B
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Franklin
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Freter
authors.forename: G D
authors.initials: GD
authors.lastname: Abrams
mesh_terms: D000005:Abdomen; D000818:Animals; D000831:Animals, Newborn; D001414:Bacitracin / Q000494:pharmacology; D001831:Body Temperature / Q000187:drug effects; D004064:Digestive System / Q000382:microbiology*; D005856:Germ-Free Life / Q000502:physiology; D007249:Inflammation / Q000209:etiology; D008297:Male; D051379:Mice; D051381:Rats; D011919:Rats, Inbred Strains; D013307:Streptomycin / Q000494:pharmacology; D013997:Time Factors
chemical_list: D001414:Bacitracin; D013307:Streptomycin