Forced exercise-induced flushing of tail skin in ovariectomized mice, as a new experimental model of menopausal hot flushes.

Hot flushes are the most common complaint of menopausal women. In the present study, a new animal model of hot flushes was established. Tail skin temperature was measured with a thermo tracer after mice were subjected to a forced exercise task using a motor driven treadmill. In ovariectomized mice, forced exercise for 10 min was most effective in increasing tail skin temperature over that of sham-operated mice. This elevation was blocked by estradiol replacement (1 mg/kg per week for 3 weeks), suggesting that our model simulates menopausal hot flushes.