Temperature modulates ethanol sensitivity in mice: generality across strain and sex

Area of Science:

• Neuroscience
• Pharmacology
• Physiology

Background:

• Body temperature is known to influence physiological processes.
• Previous laboratory findings suggested a link between body temperature and ethanol potency.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the generality of findings that body temperature alters ethanol potency.
• To examine the relationship between body temperature, sleep duration, and ethanol concentration in mice across different strains and sexes.

Main Methods:

• Male and female mice of C57BL/6J, C57BL/6S, and BALB/cS strains were administered a fixed dose of ethanol (3.6 g/kg).
• Animals were housed in chambers with controlled ambient temperatures (12-36°C) after losing their righting reflex.
• Rectal temperature, sleep duration, and post-awakening blood and brain ethanol concentrations were measured.

Main Results:

• Ambient temperature modulated mouse body temperature and sleep duration.
• Wake-up rectal temperature showed a positive correlation with sleep duration across all tested animals.
• Wake-up rectal temperature exhibited a negative correlation with wake-up brain ethanol concentration.

Conclusions:

• Body temperature significantly influences ethanol's effects, including sleep time and central nervous system depression.
• The results support the hypothesis that brain sensitivity to ethanol is temperature-dependent, aligning with membrane perturbation theories of anesthesia.