Florida or bust? Older rats seek heat to fight infection,
UD researchers report

To request color slides, electronic files or a technical abstract describing this University of Delaware research, presented during the Experimental Biology 1998 Annual Meeting, call Ginger Pinholster at (302) 831-6408. Or, send e-mail to ginger.pinholster@mvs.udel.edu

Photo by Jack Buxbaum

Geriatric laboratory rats instinctively ward off sickness by huddling in hot spots, and ongoing studies of their behavior may suggest drug-free strategies to help older people fight infections, says Evelyn Satinoff (seated, in foreground), chairperson of the University of Delaware's Department of Psychology and one of the nation's leading researchers in thermoregulation. In a study directed by UD post-doctoral neuroscientist Maria Florez-Duquet (standing), Satinoff and Research Associate Elizabeth D. Peloso (at left) found that young rats with bacterial infections move to a relatively warm part of an experimental alleyway, while older rats prefer even warmer positions, where they produce a fever. The UD findings will be presented April 21 during the Experimental Biology 1998 Annual Meeting in San Francisco.

Photo by Jack Buxbaum

Maria Florez-Duquet (left), a post-doctoral neuroscientist at the University of Delaware, watches as Research Associate Elizabeth D. Peloso places an older laboratory rat in an experimental alleyway to learn more about the animal's ability to regulate fever.