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The effects of methamphetamine on core body temperature in the rat—Part 2: an escalating regimen

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Abstract

Rationale

Methamphetamine (METH) induces hyperthermia, which is diminished with chronic treatment in a dose-dependent manner. Our objective was to determine whether the temperature responses produced by a chronic, escalating-dose METH regimen and a chronic, 5.0 mg/kg dose regimen.

Methods

Rats received pretreatment injections of saline, 5.0 mg/kg METH, 10.0 mg/kg METH (second comparison group), or an escalating-METH regimen (2–9 mg/kg) for 12 days. On day 13, all four groups were challenged with 10.0 mg/kg METH. Temperature measurements were made telemetrically at 24°C ambient temperature.

Results

Escalating pretreatment produced hyperthermia; with successive exposures, the hyperthermic peak shifted to the right. The 5.0-mg/kg-pretreatment group initially showed no change in temperature at 60 min post-treatment but developed hypothermia at 60 min with chronic treatment; at 3 h post-treatment, significant hyperthermia was present and did not diminish with chronic treatment. After the 10.0-mg/kg-METH challenge, the saline-pretreatment group was hyperthermic, and the 10.0-mg/kg-pretreatment group was hypothermic; the 5.0 mg/kg and escalating pretreatment groups were intermediate and were not different from each other. At 3 h post-challenge, no group differences were apparent. Dopamine (DA) and serotonin (5-HT) were not depleted when measured 2 weeks after treatment ended.

Conclusions

(1) Escalating and 5.0-mg/kg regimens produced different temperature profiles during the 12-day pretreatment period but a similar diminished response to the 10.0-mg/kg-METH challenge on day 13. (2) The diminished temperature responses with chronic treatment occurred in the absence of long-term DA and 5-HT depletions.

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Acknowledgment

The authors thank Biomedical Research Internship, NIH PHS IR25 GM55379.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Psychology, University of Mississippi, Oxford, MS, 38677, USA

    Karen E. Sabol

  2. Department of Pharmacology, University of Mississippi, Oxford, MS, 38677, USA

    Benita J. Myles & Karen E. Sabol

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  1. Benita J. Myles
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  2. Karen E. Sabol
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Correspondence to Karen E. Sabol.

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Myles, B.J., Sabol, K.E. The effects of methamphetamine on core body temperature in the rat—Part 2: an escalating regimen. Psychopharmacology 198, 313–322 (2008). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00213-007-1060-0

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00213-007-1060-0

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