Summary
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1.
Subcutaneous injection of capsaïcin (6–11 mg, or 21–66 mg cumulative), permanently reduced the capacity of rats to withstand a hot environment, as described by Jancsó-Gábor et al. (1970).
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2.
The treated rats thermoregulatory behaviour was not different from that of control rats, both in hot and cold environments.
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3.
Saliva secretion was decreased in a hot environment, and the weight of the submaxillary glands was reduced in capsaïcinized rats.
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It is concluded that hyperthermia present in treated rats when subjected to a warm environment is not due to a disruption ofsensu stricto temperature regulation, but rather to a decreased salivary secretion. Whether this decrease has a central or a peripheral origin is not known.
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A preliminary report was given at the Third International Symposium of Pharmacology of Thermoregulation, Banff, Canada, 14–17 September 1976
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Cabanac, M., Cormareche-Leydier, M. & Poirier, L.J. The effect of capsaïcin on temperature regulation of the rat. Pflugers Arch. 366, 217–221 (1976). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00585881
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00585881