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Biomedical subjects

D E Spiers

Publications and source records attributed to D E Spiers.

31 records · Page 2Linked to original sources
PubMed1989

Acute thermoregulatory responses of the immature rat to warming by low-level 2,450-MHz microwave radiation.

Rats were tested at 6-7 days of age to determine thermoregulatory responses to microwave exposure (2,450-MHz; continuous wave). Each animal was partially restrained in a cylindrical holder and irradiated at a power density of either 5 or 20 mW/cm2 [specific absorption rate = 0.60 (W/kg)/(mW/cm2)] at a cold ambient temperature (Ta). Following a 1-hour thermal equilibration period, each rat was monitored at 1-min intervals during 1-hour microwave exposure and 1-hour recovery periods. Colonic temperature (Tco), determined with a Vitek probe, and metabolic heat production (M), derived from measures of oxygen consumption, were sampled and recorded during these periods. Tco increased significantly above initial level at both power densities and reached a plateau after 45 min of microwave exposure. Tco doubled with a four-fold increase in microwave intensity. Prior to exposure, M was elevated in response to cold Ta and remained unchanged during exposure at 5 mW/cm2, but decreased 7.2 W/kg during exposure at 20 mW/cm2. The results indicate that the hypothermic rat pup can be effectively warmed by low-level microwave irradiation and is capable of altering metabolism in response to such heating.

Animals↗
PubMed1988

Nocturnal shifts in thermal and metabolic responses of the immature rat.

Immature rats were tested at 2, 7, 11, and 15 days of age to determine steady-state thermoregulatory responses during light (L) and dark (D) phases of the daily cycle. Pups were housed with dams in a vivarium illuminated from 0700 to 1900 h. During each phase tests began approximately 1 h after the change in the light conditions of the vivarium. Duration of each test was approximately 7 h. Rats were tested individually in temperature-controlled cylinders at ambient temperatures (Ta) = 25.0, 30.0, 32.5, and 35.0 degrees C. Both colonic (Tco) and tail skin temperatures of each animal were measured continuously. O2 content of effluent air from each cylinder was determined to provide an estimate of metabolic rate (M). Immature rats, at 2 to 11 days of age, exhibited significant L:D differences in M and Tco. However, no significant L:D differences in these responses were noted at 15 days of age. In every case, nocturnal increases in Tco were associated with a rise in M. L:D differences in Tco response were not attributed to a significant change in total thermal conductance. These data support the conclusion that the immature rat exhibits daily variation in metabolic rate, which is the primary contributor to L:D shifts in Tco.

Animals↗
PubMed1987

Thermoregulatory responses of the immature rat following repeated postnatal exposures to 2,450-MHz microwaves.

This study was designed to determine the changes that occur in the thermoregulatory ability of the immature rat repeatedly exposed to low-level microwave radiation. Beginning at 6-7 days of age, previously untreated rats were exposed to 2,450-MHz continuous-wave microwaves at a power density of 5 mW/cm2 for 10 days (4 h/day). Microwave and sham (control) exposures were conducted at ambient temperatures (Ta) which represent different levels of cold stress for the immature rat (ie, "exposure" Ta = 20 and 30 degrees C). Physiological tests were conducted at 5-6 and 16-17 days of age, in the absence of microwaves, to determine pre- and postexposure responses, respectively. Measurements of metabolic rate, colonic temperature, and tail skin temperature were made at "test" Ta = 25.0, 30.0, 32.5, and 35.0 degrees C. Mean growth rates were lower for rats exposed to Ta = 20 degrees C than for those exposed to Ta = 30 degrees C, but microwave exposure exerted no effect at either exposure Ta. Metabolic rates and body temperatures of all exposure groups were similar to values for untreated animals at test Ta of 32.5 degrees C and 35.0 degrees C. Colonic temperatures of rats repeatedly exposed to sham or microwave conditions at exposure Ta = 20 degrees C or to sham conditions at exposure Ta = 30 degrees C were approximately 1 degrees C below the level for untreated animals at test Ta of 25.0 degrees C and 30.0 degrees C. However, when the exposure Ta was warmer, rats exhibited a higher colonic temperature at these cold test Ta, indicating that the effectiveness of low-level microwave treatment to alter thermoregulatory responses depends on the magnitude of the cold stress.

Age Factors↗
PubMed1986

Ontogeny of homeothermy in the immature rat: metabolic and thermal responses.

Steady-state thermoregulatory responses were measured in the immature rat at 5, 7, 9, 11, 13, 15, 17, and 19 days of age. Tests were conducted at controlled ambient temperatures (Ta) ranging from 22.5 to 37.0 degrees C. Colonic (Tco) and skin (tail, interscapular, abdominal) temperatures were measured, as was O2 consumption from which metabolic rate (M) was calculated. Significant improvements in homeothermic ability occurred from 5 to 19 days of age. Although the resting level of M (RMR) increased by 6.9 W/m2 and the lower Ta limit for RMR (LCT) decreased by 2.5 degrees C as age advanced from 5 to 19 days, Tco at LCT was 36.8-37.1 degrees C at all ages studied. Below LCT the elevation of M to a given decrease in Tco was greater the older the animal. A comparable response to a change in skin temperature was not age dependent. Improvement in thermal insulation was the primary factor responsible for increases in homeothermic ability between 5 and 19 days of age.

Age Factors↗
PubMed1986

Beta-adrenergic responsiveness in the rat following acute administration of ethanol.

Ethanol has been shown to induce a hypothermia in rats maintained in air at 26 degrees C. The objective of the present study was to assess the metabolic responsiveness of ethanol-treated rats to administration of isoproterenol, a beta-adrenoceptor agonist, and to assess whether ethanol per se, or the hypothermia accompanying its administration, contribute to changes in beta-adrenergic responsiveness. In the present study, administration of ethanol (3 g/kg, i.p.) reduced both colonic temperature (Tco) and rate of oxygen consumption (metabolic rate) of rats maintained at 26 degrees C to levels below those of saline-treated controls within 20 min after treatment. Maximal decreases in both parameters occurred within approximately 40 min. Administration of isoproterenol (50 micrograms/kg, s.c.) 10 min after treatment with either ethanol or saline was accompanied by an increase in the metabolic rates of both groups, although the magnitude of the increase in the ethanol-treated group was less than that of controls. Maximal increases in tail skin temperatures (Tsk) following treatment with isoproterenol were similar in both groups but an increase in Tsk occurred earlier in the ethanol-treated group. Tco increased after treatment with isoproterenol in the saline-treated group but decreased in the ethanol-treated group. When isoproterenol was administered 90 min after treatment with ethanol, increases in metabolic rate, Tsk, and Tco were similar in both groups, although the increase in Tsk of ethanol-treated animals was delayed until Tco reached pretreatment level. Exposure to 30 degrees C minimized ethanol-induced hypothermia. At this temperature the metabolic responses to administration of isoproterenol at 90 min after treatment with ethanol did not differ significantly between the two groups. These results suggest that the metabolic responsiveness to administration of a beta-adrenoceptor agonist is not altered by prior treatment with ethanol but is affected by the hypothermia accompanying its administration.

Animals↗
PubMed1985

Thermoregulatory consequences of long-term microwave exposure at controlled ambient temperatures.

This study was designed to identify and measure changes in thermoregulatory responses, both behavioral and physiological, that may occur when squirrel monkeys are exposed to 2450-MHz continuous wave microwaves 40 hr/week for 15 weeks. Power densities of 1 or 5 mW/cm2 (specific absorption rate = 0.16 W/kg per mW/cm2) were presented at controlled environmental temperatures of 25, 30, or 35 degrees C. Standardized tests, conducted periodically, before, during, and after treatment, assessed changes in thermoregulatory responses. Dependent variables that were measured included body mass, certain blood properties, metabolic heat production, sweating, skin temperatures, deep body temperature, and behavioral responses by which the monkeys selected a preferred environmental temperature. Results showed no reliable alteration of metabolic rate, internal body temperature, blood indices, or thermoregulatory behavior by microwave exposure, although the ambient temperature prevailing during chronic exposure could exert an effect. An increase in sweating rate occurred in the 35 degrees C environment, but sweating was not reliably enhanced by microwave exposure. Skin temperature, reflecting vasomotor state, was reliably influenced by both ambient temperature and microwaves. The most robust consequence of microwave exposure was a reduction in body mass, which appeared to be a function of microwave power density.

Animals↗
PubMed1984

Thyroid hormone changes in the bobwhite (Colinus virginianus) after hatching.

Total concentrations of thyroxine (T4) and triiodothyronine (T3) in plasma, and their biological half-lives were measured in adult and immature bobwhite. Concentrations of T4 and T3 decreased approximately 75% from Days 1 to 10 after hatching. After Day 10, the concentration of T4 did not significantly change as a function of age; however, the concentration of T3 doubled from Day 21 (275 ng/dl) to Day 29 (550 ng/dl) after hatching and remained significantly elevated above adult level (300 ng/dl) through Day 64. Changes in total concentration of T3 in plasma were not related to shifts in hormone utilization, as evidenced by biological half-life.

Age Factors↗
PubMed1984

Relationship of skin surface area to body mass in the immature rat: a reexamination.

Skin surface area (Ab) was measured in the rat beginning at birth mass and extending over a range of body mass (m) from 5.0 to 49.3 g. Area of each animal was determined using an elastic impression material. The best-fit relationship between Ab and m over the entire range of mass was Ab = 6.88m0.736. Results suggest, however, that the standard mass exponent of two-thirds, for estimating Ab of adult animals, could also be used for immature animals weighing 14 g or more. In rats weighing less than 14 g, the mass coefficient of the Meeh-Rubner equation varies with m, indicating that the two-thirds exponent is inappropriate for use with very young animals.

Animals↗
PubMed1984

Response to thermal stress in the rat following acute administration of ethanol.

Several thermoregulatory responses (i.e., colonic temperature, tail-skin temperature, rate of oxygen consumption) were measured in the rat following acute administration of either saline or 3 g ethanol/kg BW i.p. at ambient temperatures (Ta) of 17, 25, and 32 degrees C. The magnitude of the ethanol-induced, hypothermic response was inversely related to Ta, with the decrease in colonic temperature (Tco) at 120 min postinjection ranging from 0.1 degree C at Ta 32 degrees C to 3.2 degrees C at Ta 17 degrees C. Depression of rate of oxygen consumption (heat production) was a major factor contributing to ethanol-induced hypothermia, with no observed differences in heat loss as assessed by differences in the responses of tail skin temperature. Thermoregulatory responses were also measured following acute administration of ethanol at Ta 25 degrees C and immediate exposure to either Ta 32 or 17 degrees C. The increase in Tco of ethanol-treated rats was delayed compared to controls following exposure to 32 degrees C. In addition, tail skin temperature and rate of oxygen consumption of treated rats were significantly lower. The delayed rise in Tco is most likely the result of a reduction in rate of oxygen consumption. When administered ethanol at Ta 25 degrees C and then exposed to Ta 17 degrees C, the rats exhibited a significant recovery from the metabolic depression that characterized the administration of ethanol during exposure to Ta 17 degrees C. This was most likely related to differences in the clearance of ethanol from blood. The results of this study are consistent with the suggestion that the physiologically significant inhibitory effect of acute administration of 3 g ethanol/kg BW on thermoregulatory responses of rats is manifested at the level of heat production rather than heat loss and that the effect is exacerbated by a reduction in Ta.

Animals↗
PubMed1983

Temperature regulation in adult quail (Colinus virginianus) during acute thermal stress.

1. Evaporative heat loss, O2 consumption, CO2 production, and internal body temperature were measured in unanesthetized, unrestrained bobwhite (Colinus virginianus) at specific ambient temperatures (Ta). 2. No significant change in body temperature occurred at any Ta tested, but metabolic heat production (H) increased from 42.17 W/m2 at Ta 35 degrees C to 102.89 W/m2 at Ta 10 degrees C. 3. Evaporative heat loss (E) increased approximately two-fold from Ta 10-35 degrees C, with E/H increasing exponentially over the same temperature range. 4. No significant change in thermal insulation occurred from Ta 10-30 degrees C. 5. Combined convective and radiative heat transfer for the bobwhite was 2.96 W/m2 X C from Ta 10-35 degrees C.

Animals↗
PubMed1981

Thermoregulatory responses of tailed and tailless rats to isoproterenol.

Colonic temperatures were measured in tailed and tailless rats at an ambient temperature (Ta) of 26 degrees C prior to and following administration of isoproterenol, a beta-adrenergic agonist, at doses of 0, 12.5, 25.0, 50.0, and 100.0 micrograms.kg-1. There was no significant difference between the colonic temperatures of tailed and tailless rats before drug injection. However, mean colonic temperature of tailless rats increased to a maximal level approximately 0.3 degrees higher than that of tailed rats after injection of 25.0, 50.0, and 100.0 micrograms isoproterenol per kilogram. The duration of the hyperthermic response was 50-60 min longer in tailless than tailed rats after administration of 50 and 100 micrograms isoproterenol per kilogram. The rate of oxygen consumption (heat production) increased by 4.5 mL.min-1.kg-0.75 in both tailed and tailless rats after administration of 50 micrograms isoproterenol per kilogram, the only dose tested. Mean colonic temperature of tailless rats was significantly higher, by 0.2-0.5 degrees than that of tailed rats during the initial 60 min of exposure to Ta 36 degrees C and during the first 40 min following removal from Ta 40 degrees C to Ta 28 degrees C. These results suggest that the tail of the rat is required for short-term maintenance of colonic temperature during both external and internal heat stresses.

Animals↗
PubMed1981

Dipsogenesis in cold-acclimated rats.

Water intakes of control rats kept at 25 degrees C and cold-acclimated rats kept at 6 degrees C for at least 4 weeks were compared when both groups were at 25 degrees C. Cold-acclimated rats exhibited an increase in water intake (thermogenic drink) during the first but not the second hour after removal from the cold. Cold-acclimated rats, administered the dipsogenic agents angiotensin I, angiotensin II, isoproterenol or serotonin, had water intakes not significantly different from control rats. Administration (1% of body weight) of several different doses of hypertonic NaCl (0.25 to 1.00M) intraperitoneally increased water intake to the same level in both control and cold-acclimated rats. Water deprivation for 24 h, initiated either 2 or 24 h after removal of cold-acclimated rats from the cold, resulted in water intakes not significantly different between cold-acclimated and control rats. In spite of an initial thermogenic drink on removal of cold-acclimated rats from cold, cold-acclimation does not appear to alter the dipsogenic responsiveness of rats to either extracellular or intracellular dipsogenic stimuli, or to a dipsogenic stimulus (dehydration) involving both.

Acclimatization↗