Effects of total body core cooling on heat production of conscious goats

Interdependency of Core Temperature and Glabrous Skin Blood Flow in Human Thermoregulation Function: A Pilot Study

Human thermoregulation is governed by a complex, nonlinear feedback control system. The system consists of thermoreceptors, a controller, and effector mechanisms for heat exchange that coordinate to maintain a central core temperature. A principal route for heat flow between the core and the environment is via convective circulation of blood to arteriovenous anastomoses located in glabrous skin of the hands and feet. This paper presents new human experimental data for thermoregulatory control behavior along with a coupled, detailed control system model specific to the interdependent actions of core temperature and glabrous skin blood flow (GSBF) under defined transient environmental thermal stress. The model was tuned by a nonlinear least-squared curve fitting algorithm to optimally fit the experimental data. Transient GSBF in the model is influenced by core temperature, nonglabrous skin temperature, and the application of selective thermal stimulation. The core temperature in the model is influenced by integrated heat transfer across the nonglabrous body surface and GSBF. Thus, there is a strong cross-coupling between GSBF and core temperature in thermoregulatory function. Both variables include a projection term in the model based on the average rates of their change. Six subjects each completed two thermal protocols to generate data to which the common model was fit. The model coefficients were unique to each of the twelve data sets but produced an excellent agreement between the model and experimental data for the individual trials. The strong match between the model and data confirms the mathematical structure of the control algorithm.

The metabolic response to skin temperature

Experiments were done to assess that fraction of the metabolic response to external cold exposure, which is attributable to skin temperature. In 5 conscious and closely clipped goats the metabolic rate was determined at various stable levels of skin temperature in the range from 13 to 41 degrees C, while core temperature was kept constant at 38.8 degrees C. Skin temperature was manipulated by a rapidly circulating shower bath, while core temperature was controlled by means of heat exchangers acting on arterial blood temperature in a chronic arteriovenous shunt. The metabolic response to skin temperature fell into two clearly discernible sections: a first zone with skin temperatures above 25-30 degrees C, within which the metabolic rate rose at a rate of -0.34 +/- 0.07 W/kg.degrees C with decreasing skin temperature, and a second zone with skin temperatures below 25-30 degrees C, within which the metabolic rate either plateaued or even grew smaller with further decreasing skin temperature. It is concluded that the relationship between skin temperature and metabolic rate does not directly reproduce the temperature-response curve of cutaneous cold receptors but also reflects a complex interaction of several factors, including an unspecific temperature effect on muscle metabolism.

Effect of bombesin on thermoregulation of the rabbit

Injections of bombesin (BOM, 125, 250 and 500 ng) into the preoptic/anterior hypothalamus caused dose-related decreases of threshold temperatures for metabolic cold defence, cutaneous vasomotor tone and respiratory rate, combined with a reduced sensitivity of these thermoregulatory effectors in response to core temperature changes induced at thermoneutral or warm ambient conditions. Intracisternal (i.c.) injections of BOM (250 ng) produced qualitatively identical thermoregulatory effector changes in response to core temperature changes. Injections of BOM into the posterior hypothalamus did not affect body temperature control. Increased locomotor behavior, licking and grooming was elicited, however, from all injection sites. The results explain the prevailing hypothermic effect of BOM as the consequence of the concerted decrease in threshold temperatures and "gains" of all autonomic thermoregulatory effectors and suggest the activation of warm inputs, relative to cold inputs, at the hypothalamic level as the underlying mechanism. Direct or indirect inhibition of the intrinsic hypothalamic system involving thyrotropin-releasing hormone (TRH) and consequent deactivation of central noradrenergic pathways known to generate the entire autonomic pattern of cold defence might be involved in the neuro-humoral changes resulting in hypothermic effects of centrally applicated BOM.

Skin and core temperatures as determinants of heat production and heat loss in the goat

In 82 experiments on 10 goats body core temperature (Tcore) was altered between 35 degrees and 42 degrees C by external heat exchangers acting on blood temperature while skin temperature (Tskin) was maintained constant, by a circulating shower bath, at different levels between 32 degrees and 44 degrees C. At all skin temperatures at least fourfold increases of heat production (M) and respiratory evaporative heat loss (REHL) occurred when Tcore was lowered or raised, respectively. The lower Tskin was, the higher were the thresholds of Tcore, at which M or REHL exceeded resting levels. The lower Tskin was, the higher were the slopes, at which M or REHL changed per unit of Tcore. At a given Tskin, the slopes decreased with increasing M or REHL, and were dependent on the range of Tcore. The higher the range of Tcore, the steeper changed M and REHL with changing Tcore, if all other variables were held constant. The results support the concept that an exponential relationship between Tcore and the rate of core temperature signals is the primary cause of the effects exerted by Tskin on the slopes, at which M or REHL change per unit of Tcore.

A comparison between total body thermosensitivity and local thermosensitivity in mammals and birds

We have investigated how total body thermosensitivity in various mammalian and avian species (mouse, rat, golden hamster, guinea pig, rabbit, dog, goat, pigeon, duck, goose) is related to their respective local thermosensitivities in the hypothalamus, spinal cord and skin. Local and total thermosensitivities were determined by measuring the relationship between the response of one thermoregulatory effector, metabolic heat production, and the appropriate temperature. Local cooling was performed with chronically implanted, water perfused thermodes, and local thermosensitivities were estimated by relating the maximum activation of metabolic heat production to the induced decreases in local temperature. Total body cooling was achieved by means of chronically implanted intravascular heat exchangers or with thermodes inserted into the lower intestinal tract, and total body thermosensitivity was assessed by relating the rise in metabolic heat production to the induced fall in core temperature. These analyses plus previous estimations derived from the literature show total body thermosensitivity in the different species to range from -4.0 to -12.0 W X kg-1 . C-1. We also measured rabbit spinal cord thermosensitivity and guinea pig hypothalamic and spinal cord thermosensitivity; values for local thermosensitivity in other species were derived from the literature. In all species, local thermosensitivities determined as cold sensitivities in the described way were smaller than the corresponding total body core sensitivities. We conclude that thermosensitive structures outside of the investigated thermosensitive areas contribute a major input to the controller of body temperature, particularly in avian species in which hypothalamic thermosensitivity is lacking.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

Independent clamps of peripheral and central temperatures and their effects on heat production in the goat

1. Experiments were performed to study the interaction of skin and core temperatures in the control of heat production. Shorn goats with intravascular heat exchangers to control core temperature were immersed to the neck in a circulating water bath to clamp skin temperature. With bath temperature kept constant at levels between 32 and 42 degrees C, core temperature was varied between 40 and 36 degrees C, and the changes in heat production were measured. 2. With falling core temperature shivering occurred at all bath temperatures, and heat production rose. The threshold of core temperature below which heat production increased varied inversely to the level of skin temperature. Even at a bath temperature of 42 degrees C the slope at which heat production rose exceeded -5 W. kg-1 . C-1. The results show that in the goat even very high skin temperatures do not abolish the central impulse to shiver which is caused by low core temperature. 3. It is concluded that in the control of heat production, skin temperature and core temperature provide linear and independent inputs which do not replicate any known relationship between temperature and discharge frequency of thermoreceptors.

Central thermosensitivity in conscious goats: hypothalamus and spinal cord versus residual inner body

Experiments were performed on conscious goats to confirm the suggestion that in this species the inner body contains more thermosensitive structures than those residing in the hypothalamus and spinal cord. For this purpose goats were chronically implanted with local thermodes and intravascular heat exchangers to allow independent temperature control of the hypothalamus, spinal cord and residual inner body. With the hypothalamus and spinal cord clamped simultaneously at different levels between 32 degrees C and 40 degrees C, residual internal temperature was lowered by subtracting heat via the intravascular heat exchanger. The residual internal temperature at which shivering and increased heat production occured due to heat extraction, was directly related to the value of the combined hypothalamic and spinal cord clamp temperature. The higher hypothalamic and spinal cord clamp temperatures were, the lower residual internal temperature fell before shivering occurred and heat production rose. Plots relating residual internal temperature to hypothalamic and spinal cord temperature at different levels of heat production showed the signal input generated within the residual inner body to be of nearly the same order of magnitude as that from the hypothalamus and spinal cord.