Why Measure Temperature in Preclinical Research?
Thermoregulation is a broad area of research that focuses primarily on the organism's behavioral and autonomic responses to temperature regulation. Understanding this mechanism is important as it not only impacts core, subcutaneous, and skin temperatures but also heart rate, blood pressure, neurological function, metabolism, immune response, and behavior as the body generates and dissipates heat.
To understand whether a drug or therapy impacts the animal’s ability to regulate temperature, it is important to understand its thermal regulatory characteristics, including its thermoneutral zone. The thermoneutral zone is defined as the range of ambient temperatures where core temperature is controlled without significant changes in metabolic heat production. Ambient temperature, age, species, and gender all play a role in affecting the animal’s thermoneutral zone.