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The effect of capsaïcin on temperature regulation of the rat

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Summary

  1. 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).

  2. 2.

    The treated rats thermoregulatory behaviour was not different from that of control rats, both in hot and cold environments.

  3. 3.

    Saliva secretion was decreased in a hot environment, and the weight of the submaxillary glands was reduced in capsaïcinized rats.

  4. 4.

    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

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