[Challenges in pain assessment and management among individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities : German version]

INTRODUCTION

Intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD) include conditions associated with physical, learning, language, behavioural, and/or intellectual impairment. Pain is a common and debilitating secondary condition compromising functional abilities and quality of life.

OBJECTIVES

This article addresses scientific and clinical challenges in pain assessment and management in individuals with severe IDD.

METHODS

This Clinical Update aligns with the 2019 IASP Global Year Against Pain in the Vulnerable and selectively reviews recurring issues as well as the best available evidence and practice.

RESULTS

The past decade of pain research has involved the development of standardized assessment tools appropriate for individuals with severe IDD; however, there is little empirical evidence that pain is being better assessed or managed clinically. There is limited evidence available to inform effective pain management practices; therefore, treatment approaches are largely empiric and highly variable. This is problematic because individuals with IDD are at risk of developing drug-related side effects, and treatment approaches effective for other populations may exacerbate pain in IDD populations. Scientifically, we are especially challenged by biases in self-reported and proxy-reported pain scores, identifying valid outcome measures for treatment trials, being able to adequately power studies due to small sample sizes, and our inability to easily explore the underlying pain mechanisms due to compromised ability to self-report.

CONCLUSION

Despite the critical challenges, new developments in research and knowledge translation activities in pain and IDD continue to emerge, and there are ongoing international collaborations.

A Randomized Controlled Trial Evaluating a Pain Training for Respite Workers Supporting Children With Disabilities Part Two: Training Evaluations and the Impact of Training on Knowledge Application

Within a parallel-group randomized control trial, pain training's impact on Respite Workers' (RW) care approaches and training evaluations was explored. RW (n = 158) from 14 organizations received pain or control training following randomization. Researchers were blind until randomization; allocations were not shared explicitly with organizations/participants. Participants completed a strategy use questionnaire immediately before and an evaluation immediately after training completion. Four-to-6 weeks later, participants completed the strategy use questionnaire and semistructured focus groups. No differences in pain approaches were noted in strategy use questionnaires. Per focus groups, both groups acquired a "knowing" about pain and applied pain-related care approaches in similarly. Pain training participants identified need for "growing and strengthening" pain knowledge. Training endorsements were favorable. RW pain training has value and may impact practice.

A Randomized Controlled Trial Evaluating a Pain Assessment and Management Program for Respite Workers Supporting Children With Disabilities Part One: Pain-Related Knowledge and Perceptions

This parallel group randomized controlled trial tested effectiveness of the Let's Talk About Pain training on respite workers' (RW) pain-related knowledge and feasibility-confidence-skill ratings using between-group and within-group analyses. Fourteen children's respite organizations were randomized to pain or control training. Participants (nintervention = 66; ncontrol = 92) underwent a 3-3.5 hour training and completed measures at pre-, post-, and 4-6 week follow-up. Intention-to-treat (nintervention = 65; ncontrol = 92) and per-protocol (nintervention = 26-38; ncontrol = 40-57) analyses were conducted. Pain training participants demonstrated significantly higher pain knowledge and feasibility-confidence-skill ratings post-follow-up versus control group and significant increases in knowledge from pre-post. Significant gains were maintained from post-follow-up. Results represent a promising step towards enhancing pain-related care for children with IDD.

The importance of feasible outcome evaluations: Developing stakeholder‐informed outcomes in a randomized controlled trial for children’s respite workers receiving pain training

Objective

Pain is common for children with intellectual and developmental disabilities. It is critical that caregivers have adequate pain assessment and management knowledge. The Let’s Talk About Pain program has shown promise to provide pain‐related knowledge and skills to respite workers; however, more systematic evaluation of the program is needed. This study aims to support Let’s Talk About Pain’s RCT development by using stakeholder input to help determine a feasible approach for collecting behaviorally based outcomes. A secondary aim is to discuss relevant considerations and implications for others in the disability field conducting similar work.

Methods/Design

Four employees in children’s respite organizations completed telephone interviews lasting approximately fifteen minutes and a questionnaire about feasible data collection approaches.

Results

The use of questionnaire and focus group methodology was determined to be the most feasible method to evaluate participants’ pain‐related approaches in practice.

Conclusions

Special consideration should be made when making methodological‐related choices during study development to help ensure study feasibility. The iterative approach described in this paper may also be helpful in clinical settings when designing program evaluations to enhance feasibility and suitability; it is particularly important for multifaceted organizations supporting individuals with complex needs including those with intellectual and developmental disabilities.

A Comparison of Hip Spica Casting to Short Leg Casts and Bar after Hip Reconstruction in Cerebral Palsy

Background

Immobilization after hip reconstruction in children with cerebral palsy varies according to surgeon preference. The effect of postoperative immobilization on postoperative pain is unknown. Success in achieving hip stability and complications may also differ depending on the immobilization technique utilized.

Questions/purposes

Using retrospective data, we aimed to evaluate: (a) what effect does postoperative immobilization with hip spica casting versus short leg casts and bar (SLCaB); have on pain and pain management in children with quadriplegic cerebral palsy undergoing femoral and/or pelvic osteotomy? and (b) Do complications and radiographic outcomes differ between those treated postoperatively with hip spica casting and those in short leg casts?

Materials and Methods

Children with quadriplegic cerebral palsy (GMFCS IV-V, mean age 7.8 years [range: 3-15 years]) undergoing femoral or pelvic osteotomy between 2012 and 2014 in the treatment of spastic hip subluxation were reviewed. Modes of immobilization were compared, between spica casting (n=15) and SLCaB (n=12). Preoperative, perioperative, and postoperative pain was quantified between groups. In-hospital epidural dosage, morphine equivalent dosages (MED), adjunctive medications, early maintenance of radiographic hip stability, and all complications were noted and analyzed.

Results

Children were more likely to have spica cast immobilization if they were younger. Postoperative pain scores were similar between groups, with comparable patterns of epidural and MED administered during hospitalization. Spica casts were often flared up during hospitalization, but skin ulcers were uncommon and comparable between the two groups. Within 12 months of surgery, more ipsilateral femur fractures were observed distant to implants in the hip spica group, although the incidence of fractures did not meet statistical thresholds.

Conclusion

Spica casting and SLCaB after neuromuscular hip reconstruction did not show a difference in hip stability, narcotic pain medication usage or complication profile.

Investigating the Feasibility of a Modified Quantitative Sensory Testing Approach to Profile Sensory Function and Predict Pain Outcomes Following Intrathecal Baclofen Implant Surgery in Cerebral Palsy

OBJECTIVES

Intrathecal baclofen (ITB) pumps used to manage spasticity in children with cerebral palsy (CP) also improve pain outcomes for some but not all patients. The purpose of this clinical feasibility study was to explore whether a quantitative sensory testing approach could a) be modified and used to subgroup individuals into sensory profiles and b) test whether the profiles were related to postimplant pain outcomes (i.e., pain responsive or pain persistent).

SUBJECTS

A purposeful clinical sample of nine children with CP (mean age = 12.5 years, male = 56%) and complex communication needs participated.

METHODS

A prospective within-subject design was used to measure proxy-reported pain before and after ITB implant. Pain response status was determined by proxy-reported pain intensity change (>50% change in maximum rated intensity). A modified quantitative sensory testing (mQST) procedure was used to assess behavioral responsivity to an array of calibrated sensory (tactile/acute nociceptive) stimuli before surgery.

RESULTS

Seven individuals with presurgical pain had mQST differentiated sensory profiles in relation to ITB pain outcomes and relative to the two individuals with no pain. Presurgically, the ITB pain responsive subgroup (N = 3, maximum rated pain intensity decreased >50% after ITB implant) showed increased behavioral reactivity to an acute nociceptive stimulus and cold stimulus, whereas the ITB pain persistent subgroup (N = 4) showed reduced behavioral reactivity to cold and repeated von Frey stimulation relative to the no pain individuals.

CONCLUSION

Implications for patient selection criteria and stratification to presurgically identify individuals with CP "at risk" for persistent postprocedure pain are discussed.

Preliminary Evidence That Resting State Heart Rate Variability Predicts Reactivity to Tactile Stimuli in Rett Syndrome

Patients with Rett syndrome may manifest altered pain perception/experience and are vulnerable to conditions associated with chronic pain. Pain response is difficult to measure, however, because of severe communicative impairment. There is also documented autonomic dysfunction, including decreased heart rate variability. Given the relation between pain and the autonomic nervous system, we tested the feasibility of using resting heart rate variability to predict nonverbal pain/discomfort behavior during a standardized modified quantitative sensory test in Rett syndrome. All stimulus applications resulted in increased behavioral reactivity compared to baseline, with repeated von Frey significantly greater than all other stimuli. Resting heart rate variability predicted behavioral reactivity to repeated von Frey. These preliminary findings provide feasibility evidence for an integrated autonomic-sensory measurement approach and are consistent at a construct level with preclinical evidence in Rett syndrome. Further work is needed to determine how heart rate variability changes during stimulus application.

Evidence of altered salivary cytokine concentrations in Rett syndrome and associations with clinical severity

Background

Immune dysregulation may play a role in the development of Rett syndrome (RTT), a neurodevelopmental disorder caused by mutations of the MECP2 gene. Abnormal cytokine concentrations have been documented in the serum of individuals with RTT. Measurement of salivary cytokines has been investigated as a potential alternative approach to measurement in blood and serum, but it is unclear whether salivary cytokine concentrations can provide valid information about systemic immune function in neurodevelopmental disorders. The goal of this study was to evaluate the potential validity of salivary cytokines as biomarkers of immune dysregulation in RTT.

Methods

Saliva samples from 16 individuals with RTT (all female; age range 2-40 years) and 16 healthy control females (age range 2-40 years) were analyzed for concentrations of 12 cytokines. Between-group differences in concentrations, and correlations with clinical severity in the RTT group were evaluated.

Results

Concentrations of several salivary cytokines (IL-1β, IL-6, IL-8, IL-10, GM-CSF, TNF-α, and VEGF) were increased in RTT compared to controls. The same cytokines showed significant positive correlations with clinical severity scores. There were no differences in concentrations of IL-2, IL-4, IL-5, IL-12p70, and IFN-γ.

Conclusion

The results suggest that salivary cytokines may be a possible indicator of immune dysregulation in RTT. Future research should investigate whether these results can be applied to other neurodevelopmental disorders.

A clinical case-control comparison of epidermal innervation density in Rett syndrome

INTRODUCTION

Rett syndrome (RTT), a rare neurodevelopmental disorder occurring primarily in females (1:10-15,000 female live births), is most often caused by loss-of-function mutations in the X-linked methyl-CpG-binding protein 2 gene (MECP2). Clinical observations and preclinical findings indicate apparent abnormal sensory and nociceptive function. There have been no direct investigations of epidermal sensory innervation in patients with RTT.

METHODS

We compared 3 mm epidermal punch biopsy specimens from adolescent female RTT patients (N = 4, aged 12-19 years) against an archived approximate age-, sex-, body-site matched comparison sample of healthy adolescent females (N = 8, ages 11-17).

RESULTS

Confocal imaging revealed, on average, statistically significant increased epidermal nerve fiber (ENF) peptidergic (co-stained calcitonin gene-related protein [CGRP]) innervation density compared with healthy female control individuals.

CONCLUSIONS

Given the clinical phenotype of disrupted sensory function along with diagnostic criteria specific to cold hands/feet and insensitivity to pain, our preliminary observations of ENF peptidergic fiber density differences warrants further investigation of the peripheral neurobiology in RTT.

A Case-Controlled Investigation of Tactile Reactivity in Young Children With and Without Global Developmental Delay

Assessing tactile function among children with intellectual, motor, and communication impairments remains a clinical challenge. A case control design was used to test whether children with global developmental delays (GDD; n = 20) would be more/less reactive to a modified quantitative sensory test (mQST) compared to controls (n = 20). Reactivity was indexed by blinded behavioral coding across vocal, facial, and gross motor responses during the mQST. On average the children with GDD were significantly more reactive than controls to most tactile sensory modalities including light touch (p = .034), pin prick (p = .008), cool (p = .039), pressure (p = .037), and repeated von Frey (p = .003). The results suggest the mQST approach was feasible and highlights the GDD sample was more reactive than controls to a range of stimuli.

A case-controlled comparison of postoperative analgesic dosing between girls with Rett syndrome and girls with and without developmental disability undergoing spinal fusion surgery

BACKGROUND

Rett syndrome is associated with severe motor and communicative impairment making optimal postoperative pain management a challenge. There are case reports documenting reduced postoperative analgesic requirement in Rett syndrome.

AIM

The goal of this preliminary investigation was to compare postoperative analgesic management among a sample of girls with Rett syndrome compared to girls with and without developmental disability undergoing spinal fusion surgery.

METHOD

The medical records of eight girls with Rett syndrome (mean age = 13.2 years, sd = 1.9), eight girls with developmental disability (cerebral palsy; mean age = 13.1 years, sd = 2.0), and eight girls without developmental disability (adolescent idiopathic scoliosis; mean age = 13.4, sd = 1.8) were reviewed. Data related to demographics, medications, and route of drug administration were recorded.

RESULTS

Girls with Rett syndrome received significantly fewer morphine equivalent opioids postoperatively (M = 0.26 mg·kg^-1 ·day^-1 , sd = 0.10) compared to girls with adolescent idiopathic scoliosis (M = 0.47mg·kg^-1 ·day^-1 , sd = 0.13; 95% CI -0.34 to -0.08; P = 0.001) and girls with CP (M = 0.40 mg·kg^-1 per day, sd = 0.14; 95% CI -0.27 to -0.02; P = 0.01). Girls with Rett syndrome received significantly fewer opioid patient-controlled analgesic (PCA) bolus doses (given by proxy; M = 42.63, sd = 17.84) compared to girls with adolescent idiopathic scoliosis (M = 98.25, sd = 52.77; 95% CI -96.42 to -14.83; P = 0.01). There was also some evidence indicating girls with Rett syndrome received fewer bolus doses compared to girls with CP (M = 80.88, sd = 38.93; 95% CI -79.05 to 2.55; P = 0.06). On average, girls with Rett syndrome also received smaller total doses of acetaminophen, diazepam, and hydroxyzine.

CONCLUSION

This study highlights possible discrepancies in postoperative pain management specific to girls with Rett syndrome and suggests further investigation is warranted to determine best practice for postoperative analgesic management for this vulnerable patient population.

Peripheral Innervation in Children With Global Developmental Delay: Biomarker for Risk for Self-Injurious Behavior?

The relation between somatosensory mechanisms and self-injury among children with neurologic impairments associated with developmental delay is not well understood. We evaluated the feasibility of procuring skin biopsies to examine epidermal nerve fiber density and reported self-injury. Following informed parental consent, epidermal skin biopsies were obtained from a distal leg site with no pre-existing skin damage from 11 children with global developmental delay (55% male; mean age = 36.8 months, 17-63 months). Visual microscopic examination and quantitative analyses showed extremely high epidermal nerve fiber density values for some children. Children with reported self-injury (5/11) had significantly (P < .02) greater density values (138.8, standard deviation = 45.5) than children without self-injury (80.5, standard deviation = 17.5). Results from this novel immunohistologic analysis of skin in very young children with neurodevelopmental delays suggest it may be a useful tool to study peripheral innervation as a possible sensory risk factor for self-injury.

Pain experience and expression in Rett syndrome: Subjective and objective measurement approaches

Rett syndrome (RTT) is associated with myriad debilitating health issues and significant motor and communicative impairments. Because of the former there is concern about the possibility of recurrent and chronic pain but because of the latter it remains difficult to determine what pain 'looks like' in RTT. This study investigated pain experience and expression using multiple complementary subjective and objective approaches among a clinical RTT sample. Following informed consent, 18 participants (all female) with RTT (mean age= 12.8 years, SD= 6.32) were characterized in terms of pain experience and interference, typical pain expression, and elicited pain behavior during a passive range of motion-like examination procedure. Parents completed the Dalhousie Pain Interview (DPI; pain type, frequency, duration, intensity), the Brief Pain Inventory (BPI; pain interference), and the Non-Communicating Children's Pain Checklist - Revised (NCCPC-R; typical pain expression). A Pain Examination Procedure (PEP) was conducted and scored using the Pain and Discomfort Scale (PADS). The majority of the sample (89%) were reported to experience pain in the previous week which presented as gastrointestinal (n=8), musculoskeletal (n=5), and seizure related pain (n=5) that was intense (scored 0-10; M= 5.67, SD= 3.09) and long in duration (M= 25.22 hours, SD= 53.52). Numerous pain-expressive behaviors were inventoried (e.g., vocal, facial, mood/interaction changes) when parents reported their child's typical pain behaviors and based on independent direct observation during a reliably coded pain exam. This study provides subjective and objective evidence that individuals with RTT experience recurring and chronic pain for which pain expression appears intact.

Can biomarkers differentiate pain and no pain subgroups of nonverbal children with cerebral palsy? A preliminary investigation based on noninvasive saliva sampling

OBJECTIVE

Assessing and treating pain in nonverbal children with developmental disabilities are a clinical challenge. Current assessment approaches rely on clinical impression and behavioral rating scales completed by proxy report. Given the growing health relevance of the salivary metabolome, we undertook a translational-oriented feasibility study using proton nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectroscopy and neuropeptide/cytokine/hormone detection to compare a set of salivary biomarkers relevant to nociception.

DESIGN

Within-group observational design.

SETTING

Tertiary pediatric rehabilitation hospital.

SUBJECTS

Ten nonverbal pediatric patients with cerebral palsy with and without pain.

METHODS

Unstimulated (passively collected) saliva was collected using oral swabs followed by perchloric acid extraction and analyzed on a Bruker Avance 700 MHz NMR spectrometer. We also measured salivary levels of several cytokines, chemokines, hormones, and neuropeptides.

RESULTS

Partial least squares discriminant analysis showed separation of those children with/without pain for a number of different biomarkers. The majority of the salivary metabolite, neuropeptide, cytokine, and hormone levels were higher in children with pain vs no pain.

CONCLUSIONS

The ease of collection and noninvasive manner in which the samples were collected and analyzed support the possibility of the regular predictive use of this novel biomarker-monitoring method in clinical practice.

Thermal dehydration-induced thirst in spontaneously hypertensive rats

Spontaneously hypertensive (SH) rats and normotensive Wistar-Kyoto (WKY) rats were exposed to either 25 or 37.5 degrees C for 3.5 h, and their thermal and water balance responses were compared. After exposure, either a blood sample was obtained or the rats were allowed to rehydrate for 4 h. SH rats had both higher core temperatures and evaporative water losses during heat exposure. Measurements of hematocrit, hemoglobin concentration, plasma protein and sodium concentrations, and plasma osmolality indirectly showed that the SH rats were dehydrated relative to the WKY rats after exposure to either 25 or 37.5 degrees C. SH rats drank significantly more water but also had significantly higher urine volumes than the WKY rats and thus rehydrated only slightly better than the WKY rats. SH and WKY rats had similar levels of water intake and urine output after 24 h of water deprivation. The elevated thermal response of SH rats to heat exposure does not appear to lead to uncompensatable changes in body water status.

Effects of preloads of water and saline on thermal dehydration-induced thirst

The relative contribution of cellular and extracellular water deficits to the genesis of thirst due to thermal dehydration was studied in male Sprague-Dawley rats following exposure to a 40 degrees C environment for 4 h. Intragastric (I.G.) and intravenous (I.V.) preloads of water reduced the elevated plasma sodium and plasma osmolality of thermally dehydrated rats to control levels, but preloads of saline did not. I.G. and I.V. preloads of saline returned the hematocrit and plasma protein concentration of thermally dehydrated rats to control levels. Both the I.G. water preload and the I.G. saline preload reduced water intake, with the I.G. water preload having a greater effect. The I.V. water preload reduced water intake nearly to control levels, whereas the I.V. saline preload was without effect on water intake. These data indicate that the water intake of thermally dehydrated rats is primarily due to a cellular water deficit and that oral and gastric factors are also important in terminating water intake in thermally dehydrated rats.

Thermal dehydration-induced thirst in rats: role of body temperature

Male Sprague-Dawley rats were used to study the possible role of hyperthermia in the thirst associated with thermal dehydration. Rats were exposed to 40 degrees C for 4 h and then allowed access to water at different times after they were transferred to 25 degrees C. Delaying the time prior to allowing the rats to drink did not significantly alter either water intake or percent rehydration even though core temperature decreased during the first 1.5 h after removal from the heat. Exposing thermally dehydrated rats to 5 degrees C for 30 min prior to allowing them access to water also failed to significantly affect water intake or percent rehydration. Thermally dehydrated rats allowed to drink while remaining in the heat did not show a significant increase in water intake during the first hour or percent rehydration over rats drinking at 25 degrees C. Nondehydrated rats did show significant increases in water intake and percent rehydration when allowed to drink in the heat. Hyperthermia does not play a role in drinking in thermally dehydrated rats but can stimulate drinking in water-replete rats.

Nycthemeral variation in thermal dehydration-induced thirst

Temporal variation in spontaneous water intake in rats is well established but little is known about temporal variation in water intake following dehydration. In the present study different male Sprague-Dawley strain rats were exposed without water for 3 h to either a 25 degrees C or a 40 degrees C environment every 4 h for 20 h. The rats were then allowed access to water in a 25 degrees C environment for 2 h. Rats exposed to 25 degrees C showed significant temporal variation in evaporative water loss, urine output, urine sodium and potassium excretion, water intake, and percent rehydration with higher values occurring during the night. Rats exposed to 40 degrees C had greater evaporative water loss, urine sodium excretion, feces output and water intake than the rats exposed to 25 degrees C and had temporal variations which were similar to those of the rats exposed to 25 degrees C. The robust effects of thermal-dehydration on water balance in rats are additive to rather than interactive with the effects of time of day.

Sympathetic nerve responses to hyperthermia in the anesthetized rat

The aim of the present study was to characterize the sympathetic nerve responses to hyperthermia in chloralose-anesthetized rats. Discharges were recorded from the renal, lumbar, and splanchnic sympathetic nerves. Mean arterial pressure, heart rate, and sympathetic nerve discharge (SND) were recorded continuously during progressive increases in core body temperature (Tc) from 38.0 to 41.0 degrees C. The following observations were made: 1) significant increases in renal, lumbar, and splanchnic SND were observed during hyperthermia; 2) autospectral analysis of renal and lumbar SND revealed that the frequency distribution of SND can be altered during progressive increases in Tc; and 3) increases in splanchnic SND to acute heating were similar in baroreceptor-innervated and -denervated rats. We conclude that 1) hyperthermia is a potent stimulus to the sympathetic nervous system and increases the activity in three sympathetic nerves that innervate different regional arterial beds, 2) acute heating influences the neural circuits involved in generating SND as evidenced by changes in the basic pattern of renal and lumbar SND, and 3) the increase in splanchnic SND during hyperthermia is not opposed by the arterial and cardiopulmonary baroreceptors.

Opioid modulation of thermal dehydration-induced thirst in rats

Male Sprague-Dawley rats were utilized to study the effects of the opioid receptor antagonists, naloxone and naltrexone, on thirst induced by thermal dehydration. In an initial experiment, the depressant effect of naloxone (1.0 mg/kg, IP) on the water intake of rats deprived of water for 24 h was confirmed. In subsequent experiments, rats were thermally dehydrated by exposing them without water to a 40 degrees C environment for 1-4 h. Following heat exposure, rats were injected with either naloxone or naltrexone either IP or ICV. Fifteen minutes later, rats were provided with water and water intake was measured for 2 h. Both naloxone and naltrexone had dose (0.1-5.0 mg/kg, IP)-dependent effects of reducing water intake of rats thermally dehydrated for 3 h. Water intake of rats thermally dehydrated for 2 or 4 h was also attenuated by pretreatment with naloxone. Rats thermally dehydrated for 3 h exhibited decreases in water intake following ICV injection of either naloxone or naltrexone at a dose of 50 micrograms. Neither naloxone nor naltrexone had an effect on urine output in any experiment. The water intake data support the hypothesis that thirst induced by thermal dehydration in rats is modulated by an opioid mechanism.

Thermal dehydration-induced thirst in rats: role of angiotensin II

Dehydration can be brought about by either water deprivation or by heat exposure (thermal dehydration). Angiotensin II has been shown to have a role in water deprivation-induced thirst. The current study was designed to determine whether angiotensin II is involved in thirst caused by thermal dehydration. Male Sprague-Dawley strain rats were dehydrated by exposure to a 40 degree C environment for 2-4 h or by water deprivation for 44 h. Water deprivation but not heat exposure significantly increased plasma renin activity. Neither ureteric ligation nor nephrectomy significantly altered water intake after thermal dehydration. Captopril, an inhibitor of angiotensin converting enzyme, given at a dose of 100 mg/kg ip, significantly decreased water intake in water-deprived rats but not in thermally dehydrated rats. Angiotensin II therefore does not appear to play a role in the control of water intake of thermally dehydrated rats. The physiological responses to dehydration in rats are dependent on the way in which the dehydration is brought about.

Control of water intake in thermally dehydrated rats

Male rats were thermally dehydrated by exposure without water to an environmental temperature of 40 degrees C for 0-4 hr or to environmental temperatures of 25-40 degrees C for 4 hr. Water intake was then measured for 2 hr or a blood sample was taken to determine the effect of heat exposure on body water status. Evaporative water loss and water intake increased with increased duration and severity of heat exposure. Heat exposure significantly increased plasma osmolality and plasma sodium concentration and significantly decreased plasma potassium concentration. Hematocrit and plasma protein concentration increased slightly but not significantly with heat exposure. The increases in water intake in association with increases in evaporative water loss, plasma osmolality and plasma sodium concentration with no significant increases in hematocrit or plasma protein concentration indicates that the thirst induced by thermal dehydration is primarily osmotic in nature. Water intake equal to about 50% of the evaporative plus urinary water loss reduced plasma osmolality and sodium concentration to control levels, removing the stimulus to drink before the water loss was replaced.

Measurements of core temperature in spontaneously hypertensive rats by radiotelemetry

Spontaneously hypertensive (SH) rats have been shown to have elevated colonic temperatures when compared with normotensive Wistar-Kyoto (WKY) rats. In the present study, core temperatures of SH and WKY rats were compared using radiotelemetry temperature sensors implanted in the abdominal cavity. At an ambient temperature (Ta) of 25 degrees C, SH and WKY rats showed no significant difference in core temperature over a 24-h period. After 1 h exposures to Ta values of 5, 15, 25, or 35 degrees C, there were no significant differences between core temperatures of SH and WKY rats, but at 40 degrees C the SH rats had a significantly higher core temperature than the WKY rats. Handling and moderate restraint also led to significantly higher core temperatures in the SH rats. Core temperature was also significantly increased in the SH rats compared with the WKY rats when a temperature probe was either inserted intermittently or inserted and left in place. The results of this study indicate that nonstressed SH rats do not have an elevated core temperature but that stress such as heat exposure, handling, restraint, or even the presence of a colonic temperature probe can cause significant increases in core temperature in these rats.

Mechanisms mediating the thermal response to morphine withdrawal in rats

Studies were undertaken to evaluate the role of peripheral adrenergic mechanisms and the adrenal gland in the thermal responses which accompany morphine withdrawal in the rat. Ovariectomized rats were addicted to morphine and subsequently withdrawn by administration of naloxone. This treatment resulted in a significant rise (5-6 degrees C) in tail skin temperature (TST) and fall in colonic temperature (2-4 degrees C). Systemic administration of clonidine (0.5 mg/kg) completely suppressed this surge in TST and significantly attenuated the fall in core temperature. Similar results were observed following the systemic administration of ST-91, another alpha 2-adrenergic agonist which does not cross the blood-brain barrier. Central administration of ST-91 (50 micrograms/5 microliters, icv) was also successful in attenuating these temperature changes in the morphine-dependent rat. Adrenalectomy and peripheral administration of propranolol (10 mg/kg sc) both resulted in a significant attenuation of the surge in TST and the fall in core temperature in the morphine-dependent rat which suggest some peripherally mediated event is necessary to produce the full skin temperature surge. Collectively, the data suggest a role for the adrenal gland and adrenergic receptors in producing the surge in TST in morphine-dependent rats. It also suggests that the blocking effects of the alpha 2-adrenergic agonist can be mediated both centrally and peripherally.

Effects of peripheral administration of naloxone on beta-adrenergic mediated responses

A possible interaction between the opiate and beta-adrenergic systems in controlling body temperature, heart rate and water intake was investigated using adult male Sprague-Dawley rats. Peripheral administration of isoproterenol (8 and 50 micrograms/kg, s.c.) produced significant elevations of heart rate and tail skin and colonic temperatures, respectively. Peripheral pretreatment with naloxone (1 mg/kg, s.c.) was without effect on these beta-adrenergic responses. Administration of isoproterenol (25 micrograms/kg, s.c.) produced a significant increase in water intake which was abolished by peripheral pretreatment with naloxone (1 mg/kg, s.c.). Previous studies have suggested that the dipsogenic response to isoproterenol is mediated through angiotensin II. In the present study the angiotensin II-induced (200 micrograms/kg, s.c.) dipsogenic response was abolished by naloxone pretreatment. However, pretreatment with an equimolar dose of naloxone methobromide, an opiate antagonist which does not cross the blood-brain barrier, was ineffective in altering the dipsogenic response produced by peripheral administration of either angiotensin II or isoproterenol. Collectively, the data suggest that opiates do not alter peripheral beta-adrenergic responses and that the blocking effects of naloxone on the isoproterenol-induced drinking response is mediated centrally and may be due to blocking angiotensin II dipsogenesis.

Development of hypertension in rats during chronic exposure to cold

Resting systolic, diastolic, and mean blood pressures (MBP), as well as heart rates, of unanesthetized, unrestrained, cold-acclimated (CA, 4 wk, 6 degrees C) rats were measured by direct arterial cannula and compared with those of controls maintained at 25 degrees C. Exposure to cold increased all these measurements significantly. Mean heart weight of CA rats was also increased significantly above that of controls. The responsiveness of MBP and heart rate to administration of the beta-adrenergic agonist, isoproterenol (3, 5, and 8 micrograms/kg ip), to unanesthetized, unrestrained, CA rats during exposure to air at 6 degrees C was similar to, and possibly less than, that of warm-acclimated (WA) rats measured at 25 degrees C. Acute administration of the alpha-adrenergic agonist, phenylephrine (100 micrograms/kg ip), to CA rats while in air at 6 degrees C induced less of a change in MBP from pretreatment level than was observed in WA rats. However, no differences were observed between groups when changes in heart rate from pretreatment level were compared. A similar statement may be made for a higher dose of phenylephrine (150 micrograms/kg ip), although MBP were elevated to higher levels in both groups with the higher dose. Abrupt exposure of WA rats to cold (6 degrees C) resulted in a sharp increase in heart rate and a more gradual increase in MBP over a period of 1 h. Removal of CA rats from 6 to 25 degrees C resulted in a gradual decrease in heart rate with no significant change in MBP during the ensuing hour.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

Prostaglandin E1 hyperthermia in water or food deprived rats

The effect of 48 hours of water deprivation on the colonic temperature response to intrahypothalamic injection of prostaglandin E1 (PGE1) was investigated in adult male rats. Water deprivation did not alter colonic temperature of rats at a neutral ambient temperature. Administration of PGE1 at doses of 50, 200 and 400 ng gave rise to a short latency dose dependent hyperthermia in both control and water deprived rats. Water deprived rats had significantly greater increases in colonic temperature following the two higher doses of PGE1. Control rats and water deprived rats exposed to the cold (5 degrees C) had decreases in colonic temperature which were not significantly different. Water deprivation, which should increase the plasma levels of the putative endogenous antipyretic vasopressin, does not attenuate PGE1 hyperthermia but has a slight enhancing effect. Following food deprivation for 48 hours rats had a slight but significantly greater increase in colonic temperature following intrahypothalamic injection of 200 ng PGE1. Thus the water deprivation induced change in responsiveness to PGE1 may be due to the decrease in food intake which accompanies water deprivation. The mechanism by which rats exhibit an enhanced febrile response to PGE1 administration following food or water deprivation is not yet known.

Alpha-adrenergic mediation of the tail skin temperature response to naloxone in morphine-dependent rats

Studies were undertaken to evaluate the role of central noradrenergic neurons in the tail skin temperature (TST) surge that accompanies morphine withdrawal in the rat. A 5 degrees C increase in TST and a 1-2 degrees C decrease in rectal temperature (Tr) was observed following administration of a dose of naloxone HCl (NAL, 1 mg/kg, s.c.) which precipitated withdrawal in morphine-dependent rats. Intracerebroventricular (i.c.v.) injection of clonidine HCl, a partial alpha 2-adrenergic agonist did not alter TST in morphine-dependent animals. However, clonidine (10 or 50 micrograms/rat, i.c.v.) given 10 min prior to the administration of NAL completely blocked the TST response to the opiate antagonist in the morphine-dependent animals. Although NAL and clonidine reduced Tr to a similar extent in morphine-dependent rats, their effects were not additive when the drugs were administered sequentially. Treatment with the alpha-adrenergic antagonist phentolamine (11.9 or 60 micrograms/rat, i.c.v.) failed to alter TST when administered alone, but the highest dose significantly reduced the TST response to naloxone in the morphine-dependent rat. In addition, phentolamine, at high doses only, moderately reduced Tr, but the alpha-adrenergic antagonist failed to modify the decline in Tr associated with NAL-precipitated morphine withdrawal. Collectively, these data indicate that brain noradrenergic neurons play a role in the TST surge which accompanies NAL-precipitated morphine withdrawal, and that the TST and Tr responses can be dissociated in the morphine-dependent rat.

Effects of thyroid hormone replacement on beta-adrenergic responsiveness of food-deprived rats

Thyroid hormone levels and beta-adrenergic responsiveness after stimulation with the beta-adrenergic agonist isoproterenol were studied in four groups of male rats. The groups used were control rats, rats deprived of food for 72 h, rats administered 50 micrograms thyroxine (T4)/kg daily for 4 days, and rats deprived of food for 72 h and administered 50 micrograms T4/kg daily for 4 days. Food deprivation significantly decreased serum T4 and triiodothyronine (T3) levels, and administration of T4 significantly increased serum T4 and T3 levels in both fed and food-deprived rats. Administration of T4 led to lower body weights in both fed and food-deprived rats. Administration of isoproterenol led to increases in colonic and tail skin temperatures and heart rate. Food deprivation significantly attenuated the increased body temperatures and heart rate induced by isoproterenol, and administration of T4 to food-deprived rats returned these adrenergic responses to control levels. Administration of T4 to fed rats significantly increased the thermal and cardiac responses to isoproterenol above those of the control rats. Administration of isoproterenol also increased plasma glucose levels. Food deprivation significantly decreased both postsaline- and isoproterenol-stimulated glucose levels. However, administration of T4 was without effect on either the postsaline- or isoproterenol-stimulated glucose levels of either the fed or food-deprived rats. The decreases in T4 and T3 that accompany food deprivation may thus be responsible for some, but not all, of the reductions in beta-adrenergic responsiveness observed in food-deprived rats.

Beta-adrenergic responsiveness in the rat following acute administration of ethanol

Ethanol has been shown to induce a hypothermia in rats maintained in air at 26 degrees C. The objective of the present study was to assess the metabolic responsiveness of ethanol-treated rats to administration of isoproterenol, a beta-adrenoceptor agonist, and to assess whether ethanol per se, or the hypothermia accompanying its administration, contribute to changes in beta-adrenergic responsiveness. In the present study, administration of ethanol (3 g/kg, i.p.) reduced both colonic temperature (Tco) and rate of oxygen consumption (metabolic rate) of rats maintained at 26 degrees C to levels below those of saline-treated controls within 20 min after treatment. Maximal decreases in both parameters occurred within approximately 40 min. Administration of isoproterenol (50 micrograms/kg, s.c.) 10 min after treatment with either ethanol or saline was accompanied by an increase in the metabolic rates of both groups, although the magnitude of the increase in the ethanol-treated group was less than that of controls. Maximal increases in tail skin temperatures (Tsk) following treatment with isoproterenol were similar in both groups but an increase in Tsk occurred earlier in the ethanol-treated group. Tco increased after treatment with isoproterenol in the saline-treated group but decreased in the ethanol-treated group. When isoproterenol was administered 90 min after treatment with ethanol, increases in metabolic rate, Tsk, and Tco were similar in both groups, although the increase in Tsk of ethanol-treated animals was delayed until Tco reached pretreatment level. Exposure to 30 degrees C minimized ethanol-induced hypothermia. At this temperature the metabolic responses to administration of isoproterenol at 90 min after treatment with ethanol did not differ significantly between the two groups. These results suggest that the metabolic responsiveness to administration of a beta-adrenoceptor agonist is not altered by prior treatment with ethanol but is affected by the hypothermia accompanying its administration.

Effect of beta-adrenergic antagonists on experimentally induced drinking in female rats

The nonspecific beta-adrenergic antagonist d,l propranolol, the specific beta 1-adrenergic antagonist atenolol, and the specific beta 2-adrenergic antagonist butoxamine were administered intraperitoneally (IP) to ovariectomized female rats in order to determine the role of beta-adrenergic receptors in drinking. D,l propranolol and atenolol administered at doses of 6, 12, and 18 mg/kg significantly attenuated the one-hour water intakes of rats administered angiotensin II (200 micrograms/kg, SC) and the water intakes of rats deprived of water for 24 hours. D propranolol, which has little beta-adrenergic blocking ability, administered at doses of 6 and 12 mg/kg, and butoxamine, administered at doses of 25 and 35 mg/kg, had no significant effects on the water intakes of angiotensin II treated or water deprived rats. Regardless of the dose, d,l propranolol, atenolol, and butoxamine failed to significantly alter the water intakes of rats administered 1.0 M NaCl (10 ml/kg, IP) The results provide evidence that beta 1-adrenergic receptors, but not beta 2-adrenergic receptors, are involved in mediating the increased water intakes induced by angiotensin II and water deprivation. On the other hand the increased water intake due to administration of hypertonic saline does not appear to mediated by beta-adrenergic receptors.

Alteration of peripheral beta-adrenergic responsiveness in fasted rats

Total food deprivation for 72 hrs (3 day fast) in female rats resulted in a reduction in serum thyroid hormones as well as a reduced peripheral beta-adrenergic responsiveness to isoproterenol. Food deprivation for 48 or 72 hrs significantly decreased both serum T3 and T4 values as compared to non-fasted controls. There were no significant differences in either T3 or T4 levels as a result of a 24 hr fast. Rats deprived of food for 72 hr had significantly smaller increases in oxygen consumption, colonic and tail skin temperatures following administration of isoproterenol (100 micrograms/kg b.w., s.c.) when compared to non-fasted control rats. Arterial blood pressure and heart rates were measured in unrestrained, unanesthetized, chronically cannulated rats. Food deprivation for 72 hrs significantly attenuated the decrease in blood pressure and the increase in heart rate associated with administration of isoproterenol (10 micrograms/kg b.w., s.c.). Possible mechanisms for the reduced beta-adrenergic responsiveness associated fasting are discussed.

The effects of food deprivation on beta-adrenergic responsiveness in male rats

Male rats were deprived of food for varying lengths of time (0-96 h) and their responses to beta-adrenergic stimulation with isoproterenol were tested. Food deprivation for 48 or 96 h attenuated the increase in tail skin temperature normally seen following administration of isoproterenol. The degree of attenuation was dependent on the duration of the deprivation period. Rats deprived of food for 96 h and then refed for 48, 96, or 144 h showed a return of tail skin temperature response to near normal levels. The increase in heart rate observed following administration of isoproterenol was also attenuated following 48 or 96 h of food deprivation. Again, the degree of attenuation was dependent on the duration of the deprivation period. Food deprivation for 96 h led to a decrease in basal plasma levels of T3, T4, and glucose. The increase in plasma glucose following administration of isoproterenol was also attenuated following 96 h of food deprivation. In contrast to the thermal, cardiac, and glucose responses, the dipsogenic response to isoproterenol was increased following food deprivation. The attenuation in beta-adrenergic responses observed in the food-deprived rats might help explain the effects of food deprivation on cold tolerance.

On the mechanism of serotonin-induced dipsogenesis in the rat

Subcutaneous administration of l-5-hydroxytryptophan (5-HTP), the precursor of serotonin, to female rats induces copious drinking accompanied by activation of the renin-angiotensin system. Neither a reduction in blood pressure nor body temperature accompanied administration of 5-HTP. The objective of the present study was to determine whether serotonin-induced dipsogenesis, like that of 5-HTP, is mediated via the renin-angiotensin system. Serotonin (2 mg/kg, SC)-induced drinking was inhibited by the dopaminergic antagonist, haloperidol (150 micrograms/kg, IP), which also inhibits angiotensin II-induced drinking. Both captopril (35 mg/kg, IP), an angiotensin converting enzyme inhibitor, and propranolol (6 mg/kg, IP), a beta-adrenergic antagonist, blocked serotonin-induced dipsogenesis. The alpha 2-adrenergic agonist, clonidine (6.25 micrograms/kg, SC), which suppresses renin release from the kidney, attenuated serotonin-induced water intake. The dipsogenic responses to submaximal concentrations of both serotonin (1 mg/kg, SC) and isoproterenol (8 micrograms/kg, SC) were additive rather than interactive suggesting that similar pathways mediate both responses. The serotonergic receptor antagonist, methysergide (3 mg/kg, IP), inhibited serotonin-induced drinking but had no effect on isoproterenol (25 micrograms/kg, SC)-induced dipsogenesis. However, neither serotonin (2 mg/kg, SC) nor isoproterenol (25 micrograms/kg, SC)-induced drinking was inhibited by cinanserin (25 micrograms/kg, IP). These data indicate that serotonin induces drinking in rats via the renin-angiotensin system. However, the results of the studies using methysergide suggest that serotonin appears to act at a point prior to activation of beta-adrenoceptors in the pathway leading to release of renin from the kidneys.

Dependence of beta-adrenergic responsiveness on thyroid state of male rats

The dose of thyroxine (0-150 micrograms/kg body weight) administered subcutaneously daily to surgically thyroidectomized male rats was correlated significantly with their metabolic activity as assessed by rate of oxygen consumption and colonic temperature. There was a significant dose-dependent increase in total serum thyroxine, triiodothyronine and reverse-triiodothyronine concentrations with increasing doses of thyroxine administered. The cardiostimulatory response to administration of isoprenaline (8 micrograms/kg body weight s.c.) was also correlated directly with the dose of thyroxine administered. The concentration of cardiac beta-adrenoceptors in these animals was correlated significantly with total serum thyroxine and triiodothyronine concentrations, basal heart rate, and the chronotropic response to administration of isoprenaline.

Effect of acute administration of isoproterenol and angiotensin II, separately and in combination, on water intake and blood pressure of rats

The effects of administration of isoproterenol, a beta-adrenergic agonist, and angiotensin II, a peptide, separately and in combination, on water intake and blood pressure of rats were studied. The results of 6 factorially designed studies in which 4 different doses of each compound were administered revealed that water intakes increased directly with the logarithm of increasing doses of each. The effect of simultaneous administration of the 2 compounds on water intake was additive at submaximal doses of each. No interactive effects on water intake were observed when the 2 compounds were administered simultaneously in any study. Reduction in urine output appears to be a more sensitive response to administration of isoproterenol than increase in water intake since it was virtually abolished at a dose (2.5 micrograms/kg SC) that had no effect on water intake. The lowest doses of angiotensin II (25 and 50 micrograms/kg SC) had no significant effect on either water intake or urine output. The effect of simultaneous administration of both compounds on urine output was essentially the same as that accompanying administration of isoproterenol alone. Following administration of angiotensin II (150 micrograms/kg, SC) mean systemic blood pressure of unanesthetized, chronically cannulated rats reached maximal levels within 5 min and returned to pretreatment control level by 60 min. Following administration of isoproterenol (25 micrograms/kg, SC), mean systemic blood pressure decreased within 5 min, was maximally depressed by 30 min and had returned halfway to the pretreatment control level by 60 min. Simultaneous administration of isoproterenol and angiotensin II failed to induce a significant change in blood pressure. These results are of particular interest since they show that neither the pressor effect of angiotensin II nor the depressor effect of isoproterenol is essential for the induction of drinking by these 2 compounds.

Water deprivation-induced drinking in rats: role of angiotensin II

The role of angiotensin II in the control of water intake following deprivation of water for varying lengths of time was studied. Male rats were deprived of water for 0, 12, 24, 36, or 48 h. Water intakes were measured with and without pretreatment with the angiotensin I-converting enzyme inhibitor, captopril (50 mg/kg, ip). Captopril had no significant effect on water intake following either 0 or 12 h of water deprivation. However, captopril significantly attenuated water intake following 24-48 h of water deprivation with the magnitude of the attenuation increasing as the length of the period of water deprivation increased. Plasma renin activity was significantly increased over control levels after 24-48 h of water deprivation but not after 12 h of water deprivation. Plasma renin activity tended to increase as the length of the water-deprivation period increased. Serum osmolality and sodium concentration were significantly increased over control levels following 12-48 h of water deprivation. Serum osmolality and sodium concentration failed to show any further increases with increasing length of water deprivation beyond the increases following 12 h of water deprivation. The data indicate that the water intake of water-deprived rats can be divided into an angiotensin II-dependent component and angiotensin II-independent component. The angiotensin II-independent component appears to be more important in the early stages of water deprivation whereas the angiotensin II-dependent component becomes more important as the length of the water-deprivation period increases.

Promutagen activation in partially hepatectomized mice

Mutagenic activity of aflatoxin B1 (AFB1) was followed in the Ames Salmonella/microsome test using liver S-9 from control and partially hepatectomized (PH) mice. The S-9 preparations from the PH mice were capable of inducing significantly greater AFB1 mutagenic activity to strain TA100 than S-9 preparations from either unoperated control, sham-operated control, or Aroclor 1254-induced mice. Increased activity was observed with S-9 preparations made at both 42 h and 148 h following PH.

Proposed mechanism for increased thyroxine deiodination in cold-acclimated rats

Groups of male rats were administered isoproterenol (ISO), thyroxine (T4), or both (ISO + T4) daily for 20 days in an attempt to mimic the effect of cold acclimation on the rate of outer-ring deiodination of T4 to triiodothyronine (T3) by 2,000-g supernatants of homogenates of liver and kidney. The rates of hepatic and renal deiodination of T4 to T3 in an additional group of rats exposed to 4 +/- 1 degree C for 20 days were 53 and 71% higher, respectively, than control. Administration of ISO (100 micrograms . kg-1 . day-1) did not affect the rate of deiodination of T4 to T3 by either hepatic or renal tissue. Administration of T4 (50 micrograms . kg-1 . day-1) resulted in rates of hepatic and renal deiodination of T4 that were 297 and 222% higher, respectively, than control. Administration of ISO + T4 resulted in a rate of conversion of T4 to T3 not significantly different from that observed when T4 was administered alone. Serum concentration of T4 was elevated after administration of both T4 and ISO + T4, whereas serum concentration of T3 was elevated significantly above that of control only in the cold-acclimated group. These results suggest that the increased rate of 5'-monodeiodination of T4 by hepatic and renal homogenates from cold-acclimated rats is not a result of increased beta-adrenergic activity but can be accounted for by the increase in thyroid activity observed in these animals.

Metabolic responsiveness of spontaneously hypertensive rat to isoproterenol

The metabolic responsiveness of spontaneously hypertensive (SH) and Wistar-Kyoto (WKY) normotensive rats to administration of the beta-adrenergic agonist, isoproterenol, was assessed by changes in tail-skin temperature, heart rate, and plasma glucose concentration after administration of graded doses of isoproterenol. The increases in mean tail-skin temperature accompanying administration of isoproterenol at doses of 5, 10, and 40 micrograms/kg sc were significantly (P less than 0.05) greater for SH than for WKY rats. Resting colonic temperatures of the SH rats were also significantly (P less than 0.01) higher than those of the WKY normotensive rats. Mean maximal heart rates of unanesthetized SH rats after administration of isoproterenol at doses of 5, 10, and 20 micrograms/kg sc increased to levels significantly (P less than 0.05-0.01) higher than those of WKY normotensive rats. Resting heart rates were similar in both groups. Increases in plasma glucose concentration after administration of isoproterenol at doses of 5, 10, and 20 micrograms/kg sc were significantly (P less than 0.05) greater in the SH rats compared with the WKY rats. These results suggest that the SH rat has a significantly greater metabolic responsiveness to beta-adrenergic stimulation, as assessed by three separate tests of beta-adrenergic function, than does the WKY rat.

Thermoregulatory responses of tailed and tailless rats to isoproterenol

Colonic temperatures were measured in tailed and tailless rats at an ambient temperature (Ta) of 26 degrees C prior to and following administration of isoproterenol, a beta-adrenergic agonist, at doses of 0, 12.5, 25.0, 50.0, and 100.0 micrograms.kg-1. There was no significant difference between the colonic temperatures of tailed and tailless rats before drug injection. However, mean colonic temperature of tailless rats increased to a maximal level approximately 0.3 degrees higher than that of tailed rats after injection of 25.0, 50.0, and 100.0 micrograms isoproterenol per kilogram. The duration of the hyperthermic response was 50-60 min longer in tailless than tailed rats after administration of 50 and 100 micrograms isoproterenol per kilogram. The rate of oxygen consumption (heat production) increased by 4.5 mL.min-1.kg-0.75 in both tailed and tailless rats after administration of 50 micrograms isoproterenol per kilogram, the only dose tested. Mean colonic temperature of tailless rats was significantly higher, by 0.2-0.5 degrees than that of tailed rats during the initial 60 min of exposure to Ta 36 degrees C and during the first 40 min following removal from Ta 40 degrees C to Ta 28 degrees C. These results suggest that the tail of the rat is required for short-term maintenance of colonic temperature during both external and internal heat stresses.

Peripheral conversion of L-5-hydroxytryptophan to serotonin induces drinking in rats

Female rats administered serotonin (0.25 to 4.0 mg/kg, s.c.) showed a dose-dependent increase in water intake. The dipsogenic response was nearly maximal when 2 mg/lg was administered s.c. and plateaued by 2 hr after treatment. l-5-Hydroxytryptophan (5-HTP), the precursor of serotonin, is also a potent dipsogen which induces drinking by way of the renin-angiotensin system. The possibility that the dipsogenic activity of 5-HTP is dependent on decarboxylation to serotonin was the objective of these studies. Either benserazide (30 mg/kg. s.c.), a central and peripheral decarboxylase inhibitor, or carbidopa (6.5 mg/kg, s.c.), a peripheral decarboxylase inhibitor, was administered 15 min prior to the dipsogen. Both decarboxylase inhibitors attenuated the dipsogenic response to 5-HTP (25 mg/kg, s.c.) but not to serotonin (2 mg/kg, s.c.). The peripheral serotonergic receptor antagonist, methysergide (3 mg/kg, i.p.), blocked the dipsogenic responses to both 5-HTP (25 mg/kg, s.c.) and serotonin (2 mg/kg, s.c.). There was no interaction between 5-HTP (18 mg/kg, s.c.) and serotonin (1 mg/kg, s.c.) when administered simultaneously with respect to their dipsogenic effects. Thus, the drinking response accompanying administration of 5-HTP occurs following peripheral conversion to serotonin which, in turn, activates peripheral serotonergic receptors. The mechanisms(s) by which activation of peripheral serotonergic receptors increases water intake is not known, but appears to involve release of renin from the kidney.

Effects of serotonin and L-5-hydroxytryptophan on plasma renin activity in rats

The effects of dipsogenic doses of l-5-hydroxytryptophan (5-HTP) and serotonin on plasma renin activity (PRA), blood pressure, and body temperature were determined in unanesthetized female rats. Both serotonin (2 mg/kg, s.c.) and 5-HTP (25 mg/kg, s.c.) induced six-fold increases in PRA measured 1 hr after drug administration. The central and peripheral decarboxylase inhibitor, benserazide (30 mg/kg, s.c.), as well as the peripheral decarboxylase inhibitor, carbidopa (6.5 mg/kg s.c.), prevented the increase in PRA associated with administration of 5-HTP. This suggests that 5-HTP must be converted to serotonin peripherally to increase PRA. At the doses used, serotonin decreased mean blood pressure and colonic temperature of unanesthetized rats while 5-HTP was without effect. The increase in PRA induced by 5-HTP does not appear, therefore, to be a response to either hypotension or a decrease in colonic temperature. Since 5-HTP must be converted to serotonin to initiate both a drinking response and an increase in PRA, the results suggest that the decrease in blood pressure and colonic temperature following administration of serotonin may not be important in induction of the drinking response and the increase in PRA. The mechanism by which activation of the renin-angiotensin system occurs following peripheral administration of either 5-HTP or serotonin remains for further study.

Prostaglandins and temperature regulation in the rhesus monkey

The role of prostaglandins in nonfebrile temperature regulation in the rhesus monkey (Macaca mulatta) was investigated, Indomethacin, a potent inhibitor of prostaglandin synthesis, produced only a slight (less than 0.8 degrees C) fall in core temperature when administered intravenously (2-4 mg/kg) to warm-, cold-, and nonacclimated afebrile rhesus monkeys at ambient temperatures of 18, 27, and 33 degrees C. The fall in the core temperature was independent of the state of temperature acclimation and was brought about by nonregulated means. In addition, cold acclimation in the rhesus monkey was not associated with any change in hypothalamic sensitivity to the hyperthermic effects of exogenous prostaglandin E1. The results indicate that hypothalamic prostaglandins are not involved in normal temperature regulation of the monkey or in the process of temperature acclimation.

Dipsogenesis in cold-acclimated rats

Water intakes of control rats kept at 25 degrees C and cold-acclimated rats kept at 6 degrees C for at least 4 weeks were compared when both groups were at 25 degrees C. Cold-acclimated rats exhibited an increase in water intake (thermogenic drink) during the first but not the second hour after removal from the cold. Cold-acclimated rats, administered the dipsogenic agents angiotensin I, angiotensin II, isoproterenol or serotonin, had water intakes not significantly different from control rats. Administration (1% of body weight) of several different doses of hypertonic NaCl (0.25 to 1.00M) intraperitoneally increased water intake to the same level in both control and cold-acclimated rats. Water deprivation for 24 h, initiated either 2 or 24 h after removal of cold-acclimated rats from the cold, resulted in water intakes not significantly different between cold-acclimated and control rats. In spite of an initial thermogenic drink on removal of cold-acclimated rats from cold, cold-acclimation does not appear to alter the dipsogenic responsiveness of rats to either extracellular or intracellular dipsogenic stimuli, or to a dipsogenic stimulus (dehydration) involving both.

Changes in beta-adrenergic responsiveness of rats during chronic cold exposure

Administration of isoproterenol (50 micrograms/kg sc) to rats that had been exposed to cold (6 degrees C) for 10, 15, and 25 days was accompanied by a greater increase in tail skin and colonic temperatures than in controls kept at 25 degrees C. Administration of isoproterenol (8 micrograms/kg sc) to cold-treated rats (1, 3, 5, 7, 14, and 28 days) increased heart rates above that of controls. However, resting unstimulated heart rates of cold-treated rats were also increased above that of controls after 1, 3, 5, and 7 days of cold exposure but were not different from controls after 14 and 28 days. Cold exposure also led to time-dependent increases in the weights of heart, adrenals, and interscapular brown fat. Thus, chronic exposure of rats to cold is accompanied by an increase in responsiveness of both heart rate and tail skin and colonic temperatures to beta-adrenergic stimulation. The results also suggest that increases in responsiveness to a beta-adrenergic agonist may not occur at the same time for the different beta-adrenergic-mediated metabolic and cardiovascular responses in cold-treated rats.

beta-adrenergic responsiveness of rats treated chronically with isoproterenol

The effect of chronic administration of isoproterenol on isoproterenol-induced thirst and isoproterenol-induced changes in heart rate and selected organ weights of male rats was studied. Administration of 25 micrograms isoproterenol/kg, s.c., in saline daily for 10 days was accompanied by a significant attenuation of the characteristic increase in water intake following a challenging dose of isoproterenol (25 micrograms/kg, s.c.) on the 11th day. Administration of 25 micrograms isoproterenol/kg, s.c., every 2nd, 3rd or 4th day for 10 days was without significant effect on water intake following isoproterenol (25 micrograms/kg, s.c.) on the 11th day. Administration of 25 micrograms isoproterenol/kg, s.c., every day for 10 days led to a slight increase in cardiac responsiveness to a challenging dose of isoproterenol (25 micrograms/kg) on the 11th day. Chronic treatment with this low dose of isoproterenol for 10 days was also accompanied by a significant increase in the ratio of heart weight to body weight but no significant changes in the ratio of kidney, adrenal, thyroid, spleen, or interscapular brown fat to body weight. Thus, daily administration of the beta-adrenergic agonist isoproterenol for 10 days can alter beta-adrenergic responsiveness in the rat with beta 1 (heart rate) and beta 2 (thirst) mediated responses showing opposite effects. In addition, the results suggest that tests of beta-adrenergic responsiveness must be assessed in terms of the frequency of administration of the agonist.