title: Effects of clonidine and xylazine on body temperature in the rat.
abstract: Clonidine and xylazine injected intraperitoneally both produced a dose-dependent hypothermia in unanaesthetized, freely moving rats. The alpha 2-antagonist yohimbine produced an antagonism of the xylazine-induced hypothermia but a potentiation of the clonidine-induced hypothermia. The opioid antagonist naloxone had little effect on the xylazine hypothermia, but potentiated the clonidine hypothermia. It is concluded that whilst the two alpha 2-agonists produce a similar hypothermic effect in the rat, they are acting by different mechanisms.
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001831:Body Temperature / Q000187:drug effects*; D003000:Clonidine / Q000494:pharmacology*; D004305:Dose-Response Relationship, Drug; D004347:Drug Interactions; D008297:Male; D009270:Naloxone / Q000494:pharmacology; D051381:Rats; D011919:Rats, Inbred Strains; D013696:Temperature; D013843:Thiazines / Q000494:pharmacology*; D013997:Time Factors; D014991:Xylazine / Q000494:pharmacology*; D015016:Yohimbine / Q000494:pharmacology
chemical_list: D013843:Thiazines; D014991:Xylazine; D015016:Yohimbine; D009270:Naloxone; D003000:Clonidine