Effects of d-amphetamine on colonic and skin temperatures of rats kept at various ambient temperatures

d-Amphetamine-treated rats (15 mg/kg) were compared with untreated controls at various ambient temperatures. Colonic and skin temperatures were recorded and their ratio analyzed as a function of ambient temperature. The interaction of the peripheral receptor system (skin) with the central thermoregulatory mechanisms is discussed. The possible utility of this index as a simpler expression of the functional relationship which neither requires nor contradicts the concept of a "set point" is proposed.