Effects of estrogen on thermoregulatory evaporation in rats exposed to heat

The purpose of this study was to determine the effects of estrogen (E2) replacement on thermoregulation in ovariectomized rats exposed to heat. Female Sprague-Dawley rats were ovariectomized and splenectomized and implanted with a temperature-sensitive transmitter. Each rat was studied when E2 treated (after an E2 pellet implant) and untreated. Animals were divided into two groups with opposite order of treatment and were studied over a 9-wk period. Measurements of body core temperature (Tc) and evaporative water loss (EWL) were made on unrestrained animals resting at 38 degrees C air temperature. E2-treated animals increased EWL at all levels of Tc, reduced the threshold Tc for onset of saliva spreading, and regulated Tc at a lower level during heat exposure. E2 treatment elevated plasma E2 and reduced hematocrit but did not affect plasma osmolality. These effects of E2 on evaporative cooling and Tc in heat-stressed rats are similar to those that have been reported in human females. The mechanisms of the thermoregulatory effects of E2 remain to be studied.