The role of dopamine and noradrenaline in temperature control of normal and reserpine-pretreated mice

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Abstract
Drugs with the common property of stimulating dopamine receptors, have been tested for their effects on core temperature in control and reserpine-pretreated mice. Apomorphine, amantadine, amphetamine, L-dopa and atropine all produced a fall in mouse oesophageal temperature, their efficacy correlating with their ability to activate central dopamine receptors. Amphetamine and L-dopa had a biphasic effect the initial fall being followed by a rise. In reserpine-pretreated mice only amphetamine, apomorphine, L-dopa and D,L-threo-dihydroxyphenyl-serine effectively reversed the hypothermia. Amphetamine had the highest efficacy of all the drugs tested. The sum of the effects of apomorphine and D,L-threo-dihydroxyphenyl-serine was equivalent to the effect of amphetamine alone. It is suggested that in control mice dopaminergic mechanisms mediate the hypothermia and noradrenergic mechanisms the hyperthermia. In reserpine-pretreated mice both systems are involved in the mechanisms restoring body temperature to normal.