Metabolic responses to thermal stressors of altitude-acclimated rats.

Abstract

Fasting 24-hour exposures of altitude-acclimated rats (380 mm Hg, 18,000 ft. simulated) to ground level pressure (750 mm Hg) at either cold (3°C), neutral (24°C), or hot (35°C) temperatures seldom resulted in return of their metabolic functions to preacclimative ‘normalcy.’ Although the control and altitude-acclimated groups both were accustomed to neutral temperatures (24° and 26°C), quantitative differences at ground level and altitude occurred in various indices of water, mineral and nitrogen metabolism. Of the 32 physiologic variables studied, only 4 (ratio of urine volume/ water intake, and urinary excretion of potassium, creatinine and glycine) failed to differentiate the responses of the altitude- and ground-accustomed rats. The temperature response curves of the altitude group tended to parallel the corresponding ones for the control group, but most variables were on higher or lower planes. The difference in plane resulted either from the effects of the return to ground level pressure, or from nonreversible effects of acclimation to altitude per se.