Did not work.
The results from our experiment where we coated six rats in ointment (two rats given different concentrations of a menthol-based ointment, two rats given different concentrations of a camphor-based ointment, one rat given a vehicle ointment (control), and one rat was treated with water) showed a largely random position/time graph. There was no apparent pattern from the study, indicating that the ointment did not produce an overwhelming temperature sensation within the rats.
Why?
Ointments are oil/liquid-based medications, meaning they are wet. We rubbed the ointment into the rats' fur, thereby wetting it. This creates a "cool" sensation. It is our conclusion that because the ointments were wet and topical, it did not create a strong enough sensation of hot or cold within the rats.
After a shower, if you wash your hair, but do not dry it, even if you showered in steaming hot water or it is an extremely hot day, the coolness from the water is refreshing and you might even feel slightly cold.
We used the ointment to mitigate the hyperthermia/hypothermia caused by the medications we injected. When a medication is injected into the rats, in our previous experiments, it has had the outcome of producing above-normal fevers or colds within the rats. We had decided to use ointment instead, as the temperature sensation would not cause hyperthermia or hypothermia within the rats.
Rohini,
ReplyDeleteAlthough the results were not what you were hoping for, it does show how important it is when your results are NOT what you expect. Regardless of it not working, you learned something from the trial that can be used as you move forward. What is next? How will this modify your procedure?
Within our experiment, we are testing a variety of stimuli and their effect on behavior modification and thermoregulation in rats. Although this experiment did not work as intended, we will test out other stimuli. For example, testing how prolonged exposure to a specific temperature affects the behavior modification once released from the selected temperature.
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