Open-loop gain of evaporative heat loss during radiant heat exposure in the mouse.

Whole-body evaporative water loss of the mouse during radiant heating was determined at ambient temperatures of 20-35 degrees C. The ratio of evaporated to absorbed heat per gram body weight, which is equal to open-loop gain (OLGEHL), increased over sixfold with each 1 degrees C increase in ambient temperature. At 35 degrees C, OLGEHL was equal to 0.8, which implies that the mouse evaporates 80% of the absorbed radiant heat. At 20 degrees C, less than 1% of the absorbed heat is evaporated and the remainder of the heat load is dissipated passively. A previous estimate of OLG for the mouse is similar to the data from this study at an ambient temperature of 35 degrees C. Determining OLG with natural ambient stimulation may make future studies in thermoregulation comparable.