Effects of urethane, ambient temperature and injection route on rat body temperature and metabolism due to endotoxins.

1. We have investigated the influence of environmental temperature, anaesthesia and route of administration on rectal temperature and other metabolic responses to two preparations of bacterial endotoxin in male adult Wistar rats. 2. Urethane anaesthesia, environmental temperatures of 20 and 28 degrees C, subcutaneous (S.C.) and intraperitoneal (I.P.) routes of administration and butanol and trichloroacetic acid (TCA) extracts of E. coli endotoxin (1.2 mg/kg) were used. 3. In addition to rectal temperature, serum zinc, albumin and urea concentrations and liver protein, RNA and zinc contents were measured. 4. Fevers were produced by injections of both endotoxins, by either route at 28 degrees C. Butanol-extracted endotoxin produced a more rapid response than the TCA extract via the I.P. route whereas the TCA extract produced a higher temperature than the butanol extract when the S.C. route was used. 5. Fevers were inhibited at an environmental temperature of 20 degrees C and by anaesthesia, while the former had no effect on compositional changes the latter inhibited the fall in serum zinc in response to subcutaneous doses of either endotoxin and the increase in liver zinc content in response to the butanol extract of endotoxin. 6. At 20 degrees C a marked fall in rectal temperature occurred in conscious rats 2 h after receiving the TCA but not the butanol extract of endotoxin. Temperature depression was more severe when endotoxin was administered by the I.P. route. 7. Serum urea was elevated in conscious rats by the TCA extract of endotoxin via both routes but only by the I.P. route for the butanol extract of endotoxin. In anaesthetized animals only the TCA extract of endotoxin raised serum urea concentration when given intraperitoneally. 8. Serum albumin and liver protein and RNA were unaffected by endotoxin injections over the 7 h time course of the study. 9. Rectal temperature responses to endotoxins were influenced in direction and magnitude by all variables employed in the study, while compositional changes were unaffected by environmental temperature but influenced to varying degrees by urethane anaesthesia and the route of administration employed.