title: Temperature affects ethanol lethality in C57BL/6, 129, LS and SS mice.
abstract: The effect of ambient and body temperature on ethanol lethality in inbred strains and selected lines of mice was investigated. C57BL/6J, 129/J, LS/Ibg and SS/Ibg mice were exposed to 23 or 34 degrees C following IP injection of lethal ethanol doses (8.2, 6.0, 6.5 or 7.0 g/kg ethanol, respectively). All mice exposed to 23 degrees C during intoxication became markedly hypothermic, with mean body temperatures dropping to lows of 27.9, 30.3, 33.0 and 33.3 degrees C in C57, LS, SS and 129 animals, respectively. Compared to the 23 degrees C groups, exposure to 34 degrees C offset the ethanol-induced hypothermia and significantly increased percent mortality in all four mouse genotypes. Exposure to 34 degrees C increased mortality at 24 hours postinjection from 15% to 95% in SS mice, from 37.5% to 100% in 129 mice and from 50% to 100% in LS and C57 mice. Blood ethanol data suggest that the present results cannot be explained by temperature-related changes in ethanol elimination. These results provide further evidence that body temperature during intoxication can have major effects on mortality rates in mice.
authors.affiliation: Alcohol and Brain Research Laboratory, School of Pharmacy, University of Southern California, Los Angeles 90033.
authors.forename: D A
authors.initials: DA
authors.lastname: Finn
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Bejanian
authors.forename: B L
authors.initials: BL
authors.lastname: Jones
authors.forename: P J
authors.initials: PJ
authors.lastname: Syapin
authors.forename: R L
authors.initials: RL
authors.lastname: Alkana
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001831:Body Temperature; D000431:Ethanol / Q000097:blood / Q000633:toxicity*; D007035:Hypothermia / Q000139:chemically induced* / Q000401:mortality; D008297:Male; D051379:Mice; D008810:Mice, Inbred C57BL
chemical_list: D000431:Ethanol