Effects of acceleration on thermoregulatory responses of unanesthetized rats

Upon exposure of rats to 2 G environments (achieved by centrifugation), there occurred a rapid decrease in colonic temperature (Tco) followed, after about 50 min, by a slow recovery toward precentrifugation levels. The initial drop in Tco was accompanied by decreases in hypothalamic and spinal cord temperatures and increases in tail temperature (Tta). In contrast to this anomalous response (i.e., increased heat loss (manifested by increased Tta) despite decreasing temperature at spinal and hypothalamic thermoreceptor areas) the return toward normal Tco appeared to involve appropriate thermoregulatory responses. The initial fall in Tco was decreased in magnitude by inverting the rat during acceleration, thereby suggesting that mechanical forces acting on the brain may underlie this temperature decrease. Exposure to cold during centrifugation allowed further examination of the thermoregulatory system. Unlike the initial acceleration-induced changes, the cold-evoked fall in Tco was not accompanied by increasing Tta and was modified by the environmental conditioning of the rats. These results are consistent with the view that exposure to 2 G adversely affects the thermoregulatory ability of rats challenged by cold.