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Updated: May 1, 2026

A Preclinical Model of Exertional Heat Stroke in Mice
Published on: July 1, 2021
Heatstroke model for desert dry-heat environment and observed organ damage
Ren ou Zhou1, Jiang Wei Liu2, Dong Zhang2
1Department of Hepatobiliary Surgery, Urumqi General Hospital of Lanzhou Military Region of PLA, Urumqi 830000, PR China; Medical College of Shihezi University, Shihezi 832000, PR China.
Background:
Heatstroke is one of the most common clinical emergencies. Heatstroke that occurred in a dry-heat environment such as desert is usually more seriously effective and often leads to death. However, the report of the pathophysiologic mechanisms about heatstroke in dry-heat environment of desert has not been seen.
Objectives:
Our objectives are to establish a rat model of heatstroke of dry-heat environment of desert, to assess the different degrees of damage of organ, and to preliminarily discuss the mechanism of heatstroke in dry-heat environment of desert.
Methods:
The first step, we have established a rat heatstroke model of dry heat environment of desert. The second step, we have accessed changes in morphology and blood indicators of heatstroke rats in dry-heat environment of desert.
Results:
The heatstroke rats have expressed the changing characteristics of mean arterial pressure, core temperature, and heart rate. The organ damage changed from mild to serious level, specifically in the morphology and blood enzymology parameters such as alanine aminotransferase, aspartate aminotransferase, creatinine, urea, uric acid, creatine kinase-MB, creatine kinase, and blood gas parameters such as base excess extracellular fluid and bicarbonate ions (HCO3-).
Conclusions:
We have successfully established the rat heatstroke model of dry-heat environment of desert. We have identified heatstroke rats that presented changing characteristics on physiological indicators and varying degrees of organ damage, which are aggravated by the evolution of heatstroke in dry-heat environment of desert. We have preliminarily discussed the mechanism of heatstroke in dry-heat environment of desert.
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