Modification of thermoregulatory responses in rabbits reared at elevated environmental temperatures.

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Abstract
Pregnant New Zealand white rabbits were kept from 14 days pre-partum at an environmental temperature of 33.degree. C, and their offspring were reared at this temperature. In response to a 4 h cold exposure, animals (aged 90-180 days) raised in this way showed significant drops in colonic temperature (-2.7 .+-. 0.5.degree. C) while control animals reared at 20.degree. C did not (+ 0.05 .+-. 0.1.degree. C). A reduced, monophasic endotoxin fever was observed in animals reared at 33.degree. C, while a normal biphasic fever was seen in rabbits originally reared at 20.degree. C and subsequently acclimated to 33.degree. C. A greatly reduced temperature response to i.v. infusion of noradrenaline [nonepinephrine] was also found in animals raised at 33.degree. C. Thermal afferent input during early life may play an important role in the development of the thermoregulatory system.