Temperature Regulation in Laboratory Rodents

This book should find use in government, academic or industrial laboratories whose researchers are working with rodents.

Rodents are the predominant experimental animals found in life-sciences research laboratories. The body temperature of a rodent is markedly affected by surgical, chemical or environmental manipulation. Because temperature regulation is controlled essentially by a 'holistic' regulatory system, meaning that its responses affect the activities of all other psychological and behavioural processes, it is clear that researchers working with rodents must be familiar with thermoregulatory physiology. With the help of extensive data tables and figures, this book explains the key facets of rodent thermal physiology, including neurological control and gender and intraspecies variations. There is a novel chapter on the effects of trauma, toxic chemicals and other factors. The book should therefore find use in government, academic or industrial laboratories whose researchers are working with rodents.

Preface; Acknowledgements; List of abbreviations; 1. Introduction to temperature regulation; 2. Neurology of temperature regulation; 3. Metabolism; 4. Thermoregulatory effector responses; 5. Body temperature; 6. Growth, reproduction, development and aging; 7. Temperature acclimation; 8. Gender and intraspecies differences; 9. Thermoregulation during chemical toxicity, physical trauma and other adverse environmental conditions; References; Index.

With the help of extensive data tables and figures, this book explains the key facets of rodent thermal physiology, including neurological control and gender and intraspecies variations. The book should therefore find use in government, academic or industrial laboratories whose researchers are working with rodents.