Abstract
Summary
Bilaterally adrenodemedullated rats were successfully cold acclimated at 5°C for 5 weeks. This was evidenced by (i) successful survival, (ii) elevated oxygen uptake measured at 28°C, (iii) enhanced calorigenic response to tyramine although demedullated rats had significantly lower oxygen uptakes than the intact rats, and (iv) an increased tolerance to cold (−10°C) similar to that observed in intact rats after 5 weeks of acclimation. Non-cold-acclimated demedullated rats were unable to maintain their colonic temperature to the same extent as the intact non-cold-acclimated rats during exposure to −10°C. All cold-acclimated rats had greater response to tyramine and better tolerance to −10°C than non-cold-acclimated rats.
This work was supported in part by the National Institutes of Health under Grant NIH AG00021.
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