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Updated: Jul 16, 2026

Measuring Skeletal Muscle Thermogenesis in Mice and Rats
Published on: July 27, 2022
Menthol and nicotine oppositely modulate body temperature in the rat
David N Ruskin1, Rene Anand, Gerald J LaHoste
1Department of Psychology, University of New Orleans, New Orleans, Louisiana, USA. druskin@uno.edu
Abstract:
Menthol is a prominent additive in many tobacco products. To investigate possible interactions with nicotine, (-)-menthol (200 or 400 mg/kg) and (-)-nicotine (0.5 mg/kg) were injected subcutaneously in rats, and body temperature, which is modulated by brain nicotinic acetylcholine receptors, was measured. Nicotine caused robust (-1.6 degrees C) hypothermia, the magnitude and time course of which was not altered by menthol pretreatment. Menthol alone produced mild (0.4-0.8 degrees C) hyperthermia, which was not secondary to locomotor activation. Nicotine and menthol influence body temperature independently and oppositely; menthol does not appear to influence the function of the central nicotinic receptors that control body temperature.
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