Abstract
Ultrastructural features of cardiac tissue from hibernating (10 weeks) and nonhibernating ground squirrels ( Citellus lateralis) were examined by electron microscopy. Cardiac cells from hibernators contained 217% more lipid droplets, in close association with the mitochondria, than similar cells from nonhibernators. The heart plays a major role in arousal from hibernation and is thought to be a partial heat source during this process. An increased amount of lipid would provide an immediate fuel source for the oxidative processes which support heat production as well as heart function during the initial stages of rewarming when blood flow is limited. In support of work by Rosenquist, the cell coat (basement membrane) was generally thicker in tissue from the hibernating animals.
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