Suitability of temperature-sensitive transponders to measure body temperature during animal experiments required for regulatory tests

Body temperature is a clinical parameter in vaccine quality control to detect systemic side-effects or to monitor progression of infectious diseases. Moreover changes in body temperature are used as clinical parameters to define humane endpoints in animal experiments. However, measuring body temperature via the rectal route can be troublesome and distressing to the animal. Non-invasive measurement methods were developed in recent years. The aim of this investigation was to study and to compare rectally measured body temperature with data obtained with implanted temperature-sensitive transponders (TST) in mice, guinea pigs, rabbits and pigs under the controlled conditions of regulatory testing.