Thermogenic and adaptive mechanisms in hibernation and arousal from hibernation

Abstract

The process of arousal from hibernation is begun by a temperature rise in the foreparts of the gopher which precedes any rise in oxygen consumption. This is followed by a rapid change of the R.Q. from values near 0.7–1.0 and an acceleration of O2 consumption. The rate of heat production appears to exceed that calculated from the O2 consumption until the arousal process is more than half complete. The probable source of this heat is the store of energy rich compounds in the body. The P/O ratio of liver particles was shown to be identical for the normal and hibernating hamster contrary to what would be predicted from current theory. Perfusion experiments with isolated hearts of rat, normal and hibernating hamster reveals no detectable humoral activity in the blood of hibernating hamster.