A new cell culture exposure system for studying the toxicity of volatile chemicals at the air-liquid interface.

A cell culture exposure system (CCES) was developed to expose cells established at an air-liquid interface (ALI) to volatile chemicals. We characterized the CCES by exposing indigo dye-impregnated filter inserts inside culture wells to 125 ppb ozone (O) for 1 h at flow rates of 5 and 25 mL/min/well; the reaction of O with an indigo dye produces a fluorescent product. A 5-fold increase in fluorescence at 25 mL/min/well versus 5 mL/min/well was observed, suggesting higher flows were more effective.

A Device that Allows Rodents to Behaviorally Thermoregulate when Housed in Vivariums.

Laboratories and vivariums typically are maintained at ambient temperatures of 20 to 24 °C, leading to cold stress in mice. When mice are inactive and sleeping during the light phase, their zone of thermoneutrality associated with a basal metabolic rate is 30 to 32 °C. If given a choice, mice will use thermoregulatory behavior to seek out thermoneutral temperatures during the light phase.

Rat tail skin temperature monitored noninvasively by radiotelemetry: characterization by examination of vasomotor responses to thermomodulatory agents.

Introduction: Measurement of tail skin temperature (T(sk)) of the rat can provide important information on mechanisms pertaining to physiology, pharmacology, and toxicology. T(sk) is largely under control of peripheral vascular tone, which is also sensitive to most experimental manipulations such as handling and restraint. Hence, it is extremely difficult to acquire long-term measurements of T(sk) that are free of artifacts from experimental manipulation.