Faculty Collaboration Database

Reversibility of cold-induced hypertension after removal of rats from cold. Can J Physiol Pharmacol 1990 Jul;68(7):830-5

Date

07/01/1990

Pubmed ID

2383798

DOI

10.1139/y90-126

Scopus ID

2-s2.0-0025300960 (requires institutional sign-in at Scopus site)   28 Citations

Abstract

Chronic exposure of rats to cold air induces hypertension, including elevation of blood pressure and cardiac hypertrophy. The present study was designed to assess reversibility of these changes after removal from cold. Five groups of six male rats each were exposed to cold (5 +/- 2 degrees C) for 39 days, while six control rats were maintained at 26 +/- 2 degrees C. Systolic blood pressures of the rats in one of the cold-treated groups, as well as the controls, were measured twice weekly throughout the experiment. Blood pressure of the cold-exposed rats (150 +/- 3 mmHg; 1 mmHg = 133.3 Pa) became elevated significantly above that of controls (129 +/- 3 mmHg) within 4 weeks. On day 39 of cold exposure, one group (six rats) of the cold-treated rats was sacrificed while still in the cold. The remaining four groups of cold-treated rats were than removed from cold and kept at 26 +/- 2 degrees C. One group of cold-treated rats was sacrificed weekly thereafter. During the last week, the six control rats were also sacrificed. At death, the heart, kidneys, and adrenal glands were removed and weighed. Mean heart weight of the cold-treated group (346 +/- 7 mg/100 g body weight), sacrificed prior to removal from cold, was significantly (p less than 0.01) greater than that of controls (268 +/- 5 mg/100 g body weight). The increased heart weight of the cold-treated group appeared to result mainly from an increase in left ventricular weight.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

Author List

Shechtman O, Papanek PE, Fregly MJ

Author

Paula Papanek PhD, MPT, LAT, FACSM Associate Professor & Director of Exercise Science in the Exercise Science & Physical Therapy department at Marquette University

MESH terms used to index this publication - Major topics in bold

Animals
Blood Pressure
Body Weight
Cold Temperature
Creatinine
Dopamine
Epinephrine
Hypertension
Male
Norepinephrine
Organ Size
Potassium
Rats
Rats, Inbred Strains
Sodium
Urination