title: Response latencies in the tail-flick test depend on tail skin temperature.
abstract: Tail skin temperatures and tail-flick latencies were simultaneously recorded in male Sprague-Dawley rats exposed to various ambient temperatures (22-30 degrees C). There was a positive correlation between tail skin temperature and ambient temperature and a negative correlation between tail-flick latency and ambient temperature. Importantly, a highly significant negative correlation was present between tail-flick latency and skin temperature, even at constant ambient temperature (22.1 or 23.3 degrees C). Thus, the results of tail-flick testing are highly affected by skin temperature and factors altering the skin temperature must be considered when tail-flick latencies are interpreted in terms of nociception.
authors: Department of Physiology, University of Bergen, Norway.
authors: O G
authors: OG
authors: Berge
authors: I
authors: I
authors: Garcia-Cabrera
authors: K
authors: K
authors: Hole
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001833:Body Temperature Regulation; D008297:Male; D009475:Neurons, Afferent / Q000502:physiology*; D010146:Pain / Q000503:physiopathology*; D051381:Rats; D011919:Rats, Inbred Strains; D011930:Reaction Time / Q000502:physiology*; D012867:Skin / Q000294:innervation*; D013623:Tail / Q000294:innervation