THE ENDOGENOUS TISSUE RESPIRATION OF THE ARCTIC GROUND SQUIRREL AS AFFECTED BY HIBERNATION AND SEASON

• Main Authors: HANNON,J.P., VAUGHAN,D.A., HOCK,R.J.
• Other Authors: ARCTIC AEROMEDICAL LAB FORT WAINWRIGHT ALASKA
• Format: Text
• Language: English
• Published: 1961
• Subjects: *RESPIRATION; *TISSUES(BIOLOGY); BODY WEIGHT; CARBOHYDRATES; CLIMATE; ENZYMES; HIBERNATION; LIPIDS; METABOLISM; OXYGEN CONSUMPTION; PERIODIC VARIATIONS; RATS; RODENTS; Arctic; Arctic ground squirrel
• Online Access: http://www.dtic.mil/docs/citations/AD0276016; http://oai.dtic.mil/oai/oai?&verb=getRecord&metadataPrefix=html&identifier=AD0276016

The effects of season, short- and long-term hibernation, and arousal from hibernation on the endogenous respiration of cerebral, myocardial, hepatic and skeletal muscle tissue of arctic ground squirrels were studied. The species differences in tissue respiration between laboratory rats and ground squirrels were also investigated. In the ground squirrels, all tissues except liver exhibited higher rates of endogenous respiration in the autumn than in the spring. Liver respiration was unaffected by season. In all tissues, the hibernating state was associated with a reduction in endogenous respiration as measured at 38 C. This reduction was apparent after one to three days in muscle and liver tissue and after six to nine days in brain and heart tissue. Arousal from hibernation produced a partial to complete recovery of the prehibernation respiratory rates. Experiments on the capacity of the liver to oxidize citrate suggested that these hibernation-induced changes in respiration were attributable to changes in the catalytic capacity of the tissue. The brain and heart respiration were higher in the squirrel than the rat, while the converse was true for liver and muscle tissue. (Author)