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PubMed1988

Role of hyperthyroidism in increased thermogenesis in the cold-acclimated Syrian hamster.

The oxygen consumption of cold-acclimated Syrian hamsters (measured in pentobarbital-anaesthetized animals) was 59% greater than that of warm-acclimated hamsters. Upon return of the cold-acclimated hamsters to 24 degrees C, the elevated metabolic rate declined slowly, with half-life of approximately 1 day. The increase correlated well with our previous finding of a four-fold increase in serum 3,5,3'-triiodothyronine concentration in cold-acclimated hamsters and the slow decline in concentration of this hormone during deacclimation. Daily administration of T3 (for 7 days) to warm-acclimated hamsters at 24 degrees C resulted in a similar increase in oxygen consumption that persisted 1 day after the last injection and had disappeared by 7 days after the last injection. We conclude that the high concentration of serum triiodothyronine in the cold-acclimated hamster exerts a thermogenic effect that probably contributes to thermoregulatory thermogenesis in the cold.

Adaptation, Physiological↗

PubMed1976

Norepinephrine turnover in heart and spleen of 7-, 22-, and 34 degree C-acclimated hamsters.

Norepinephrine (NE) turnover rates were measured in hamster (Mesocricetus auratus) heart and spleen tissues after 7-10 wk exposure to 7, 22, and 34 degrees C. The competitive inhibitor of NE synthesis, alpha-methyl-p-tyrosine methyl ester, was injected (200 mg/kg, ip) into acclimated animals. At sequential periods after drug treatment, hamsters were sacrificied by cervical transection, and tissues were removed and frozen. Rate constants, turnover time, and turnover rates were determined from regression analysis of NE tissue decay. Heart NE turnover was highest in cold-acclimated and lowest in heat-exposed animals (.111 and .047 mug/g per h, respectively), control values being intermediate (.081 mug/g per h). NE turnover is inversely related to tissue levels in the myocardium of temperature-acclimated hamsters. Spleen NE turnover was lowest with heat exposure, but spleen tissue levels of NE with heat or cold exposure were not different from control (22 degrees C) measurements. Heat-acclimated hamsters are slightly hyperthermic (Tre, 37.24 +/- .18 C; P, .032) compared to 22 degrees C-maintained controls (Tre, 36.85 +/- .07), but body temperature were unchanged with 7 degrees C exposure. The implication of altered NE synthesis is that sympathetic nerve activity is decreased with heat acclimation and increased with cold acclimation.

Acclimatization↗

PubMed1976

Mechanisms of temperature regulation in heat-acclimated hamsters.

Mechanisms of temperature regulation were assessed by measurements of oxygen consumption (VO2), body temperature (Rre = rectal, Tsk = skin), evaporative water loss (EWL), regional distribution of blood flow, and blood volume. Hamsters (Mesocricetus auratus) were acclimated to ambient temperatures of 34 or 22 degrees C. VO2 of 34 degrees C-exposed animals was reduced to 50% of that of controls at 22 degrees C, whereas EWL with heat exposure was almost double that of controls. Heat-acclimated animals had a slightly elevated Tre in comparison to 22 degrees C-acclimated animals, whereas there was a marked elevation in Tsk with heat exposure, in contrast to control animals at 22 degrees C. Blood flow distribution measurements indicated that with 34 degrees C exposure there was a decreased flow in liver, kidney, and intestine, whereas there was an increase to the carcass. Red cell and plasma volumes in heat-acclimated hamsters were decreased belwo the values of the 22 degrees C controls. Heat acclimation of the fhamster appears to involve reduced VO2 and increased WEL. Convective and radiative heat loss appear to be maintained by increased Tsk with heat exposure. Nonevaporative heat dissipation mechanisms are of primary importance in thermoregulation of the heat-acclimated hamster, and it is suggested that this is mediated by increased peripheral blood flow with reduced flow to the viscera.

Acclimatization↗

PubMed2002

Heat acclimation in rats: modulation via lipid polyunsaturation.

Heat acclimation of rats has been shown to enhance endurance of rat hearts to ischemic insult and acute heat stress. Common protective features have been shown to be operative during both these stress-inducing conditions. To explore the role of membrane lipid composition in the adaptive response, we analyzed two major parameters that impact membrane dynamics and order, the nonesterified cholesterol levels and the acyl chain composition of phospholipids, in rat heart and salivary glands, both major thermoregulatory organs, in short- and long-term heat-acclimated rats. Before exposure to heat, control salivary gland tissue has a higher cholesterol-to-phospholipid mole ratio (0.32 +/- 0.02) than heart (0.14 +/- 0.01), and the acyl chains of its phospholipids are 50% more saturated. The remodeling strategies of the tissues after exposure to heat differed. Heart cholesterol levels increased after short-term heat acclimation (approximately 50%), whereas salivary gland cholesterol levels decreased in acute heat stress and long-term heat acclimation (approximately 32%). Remodeling of phospholipid acyl chains, particularly an increase in docosahexaenoic acid, was a protective strategy in both tissues (57% in heart and >100% in salivary glands). Modifying membrane lipid composition by treating rats with liposomes composed of egg phosphatidylcholine (PC) before exposure to heat resulted in a 38% increase in endurance to thermal stress. The density and affinity of muscarinic receptors of submaxillary salivary glands, involved in the acclimation response, were measured in control and PC liposome-treated rats, and then both groups were subjected to short-term heat acclimation. After PC treatment the well-established compensatory upregulation of the muscarinic receptors and concomitant decrease in their affinity was blunted. The substantial increase in the thermal endurance of heat-challenged intact rats after treatment with PC liposomes (600 vs. 200 min) suggests that membrane lipid composition plays a role in the ability of these tissues to respond to heat stress.

Adaptation, Physiological↗

PubMed1979

Influence of thermal acclimation on membrane lipid composition of rainbow trout liver.

Rainbow trout (Salmo gairdneri) acclimated to 5 degrees C possessed larger livers and less neutral lipid per gram of liver than 20 degrees C-acclimated animals; quantities of liver glycolipid, phospholipid, and cholesterol did not vary significantly with acclimation temperature. The relative proportions of phosphatidylethanolamine increased significantly following cold exposure, whereas the quantities of sphingomyelin and cardiolipin declined. For all phosphatides examined (phosphatidylethanolamine, phosphatidylcholine, phosphatidylserine, phosphatidylinositol, lysolecithin, cardiolipin, sphingomyelin) cold acclimation resulted in 1) an increase in the quantity of polyunsaturated fatty acids, 2) a reduction in the level of saturated fatty acids, and 3) little change in the total content of monoenes and dienes. The increased content of polyunsaturated fatty acids in choline and ethanolamine phosphatides following cold acclimation was confined to the 2-position and occurred at the expense of monoenes and dienes. The relative proportions of n - 3 fatty acids, and less frequently n - 6 fatty acids, increased in phosphatides of cold-acclimated trout, whereas the relative proportions of n - 9 fatty acids declined. These data suggest a preferential incorporation of fatty acids belonging to the linolenic acid family at reduced temperatures. Temperature-induced changes in the chemical composition of trout liver phospholipids counteracted the effects of acute temperature change on nonelectrolyte permeability of isolated liposomes.

Adaptation, Physiological↗

PubMed1984

Saline acclimation and water and sodium transport across avian small intestine.

The uptake of sodium and water across everted sacs of the jejunum and ileum of Pekin ducklings, nestling Glaucous-winged gulls, and adult Japanese quail was measured in both freshwater- and saltwater-acclimated birds to assess the importance of the avian small intestine in salt and water balance after a salt load. The jejunum and ileum together were divided into segments I-V in ducklings and gulls and segments I-IV in Japanese quail. Acclimation to sodium chloride solutions increased the uptake of sodium and water, per unit dry weight of tissue, across segments II and IV in larger ducklings, although no significant differences were observed in smaller ducklings. Sodium and water transport were significantly greater across the posterior region of the small intestine of saltwater-acclimated gulls. In Japanese quail acclimated to sodium chloride solutions, mean values for sodium and water uptake were decreased, compared with fresh-water-acclimated birds, but were not statistically significantly different. Increased uptake of water and sodium after saline acclimation appears to be correlated with the presence of functional salt glands.

Animals↗

PubMed1987

Thermogenin amount and activity in hamster brown fat mitochondria: effect of cold acclimation.

To investigate the acclimation process in a hibernator, four different parameters of thermogenin amount and activity were investigated in brown adipose tissue mitochondria from cold-exposed and cold-acclimated Syrian hamsters. Hamsters, which are hibernators, have been considered to be "primed" for thermogenesis and thus not to show cold-acclimation effects, but here a significant increase in [3H]GDP-binding capacity was observed (from 0.5 nmol in control to 0.9 nmol GDP/mg in cold-acclimated hamsters), and this increase was paralleled by an increase in thermogenin antigen amount, as measured in an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. The transient nature of the effect of cold exposure on [3H]GDP binding, characteristically observed with rat mitochondria, was not observed with hamster mitochondria, and the increase in [3H]GDP binding occurred without a change in the dissociation constant (0.7 microM). The increase in thermogenin amount was paralleled by an increase both in GDP-sensitive Cl- permeability of the mitochondria and in GDP-sensitive respiration. It was established that it is the maximal activity of thermogenin that is rate limiting for thermogenesis in isolated mitochondria, provided that an optimal substrate is used (such as palmitoyl carnitine). Cold acclimation also increased the total amount of mitochondria in the tissue, leading totally to a sixfold increase in thermogenin content of the hamster. It is concluded that (contrary to the general view) hamsters show the expected physiological, pharmacological, and biochemical signs of cold acclimation (i.e., an increased capacity for nonshivering thermogenesis).

Acclimatization↗

PubMed1990

Stimulatory effects of cold exposure and cold acclimation on glucose uptake in rat peripheral tissues.

The effects of cold exposure on the net rates of 2-[3H]deoxy-D-glucose uptake (Ki) in rat peripheral tissues were investigated comparatively in warm- and cold-acclimated animals to determine whether cold acclimation induces regulatory alterations in glucose metabolism. Acute exposure of warm-acclimated (25 degrees C) rats to cold (48 h at 5 degrees C) markedly increased the Ki values in red and white skeletal muscles (2-5 times), in the heart (8 times), in several white adipose tissue (WAT) depots (4-20 times), and in brown adipose tissue (BAT) (110 times). After cold acclimation (3 wk at 5 degrees C), the Ki values further increased in the heart (15 times) and WAT (up to 29 times) but decreased in BAT (36 times). Remarkably, glucose uptake was still increased in muscles of cold-exposed/cold-acclimated animals (that do not shiver), demonstrating that enhanced glucose uptake may occur in muscles in the absence of shivering thermogenesis (or contractile activity). When cold-acclimated rats were returned to the warm for 18 h, the Ki values of all tissues, except WAT, returned to control levels. Cold exposure synergistically potentiated the stimulation of tissue glucose uptake induced by a maximal effective dose of insulin (0.5 U/kg iv) in warm- as well as in cold-acclimated animals.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

Acclimatization↗

PubMed1991

Effect of age on cold acclimation in rats: metabolic and behavioral responses.

To determine whether senescence affects the metabolic and behavioral responses of rats to chronic cold exposure, 8- and 22-mo-old male Fischer 344 rats were studied before and after 6 wk of cold (6-10 degrees C) exposure. Measurements of body weight, food consumption, oxygen consumption, body temperature, and ambient temperature selection in a thermocline (7-37 degrees C linear gradient) were made at regular intervals throughout the acclimation period. Before acclimation, age groups differed significantly only by weight. During acclimation, older rats had increased mortality and morbidity below 10 degrees C. After acclimation at 10 degrees C, younger and older rats both selected cooler ambient temperatures (7 and 5 degrees C cooler than preacclimation, respectively), and older rats had a significantly greater decrease in body temperature in the thermocline. Both age groups increased resting metabolic rate at 25 degrees C with cold acclimation (16.5 and 10% increase for younger and older rats, respectively). This study indicates distinct differences in metabolic and behavioral responses of younger and older rats to cold acclimation. Chronic cold exposure is detrimental to thermoregulatory function in older rats, since it is not as effective in stimulating sustained increases in metabolic rate in older rats as in young adults and it leads to a preference for cooler ambient temperatures, resulting in increased heat loss and reduced body temperature.

Acclimatization↗

PubMed1991

Metabolism and cardiovascular effects of leukotrienes in warm- and cold-acclimated American bullfrogs (Rana catesbeiana).

Sulfidopeptide leukotrienes are important mediators in mammals, but much less is known of their metabolism and action in nonmammalian vertebrates. This study examines the cardiovascular effects of leukotrienes on blood pressure and heart rate and compares the metabolism of leukotrienes in vivo and in vitro in warm- and cold-acclimated bullfrogs. Leukotriene C4 (LTC4) is more potent than leukotriene D4 (LTD4) and leukotriene E4 (LTE4) in eliciting hypotension. The leukotrienes are more potent in warm-acclimated animals. Conversion of [3H]LTC4 to [3H]LTD4 occurs rapidly in warm-acclimated bullfrogs, with 15.2 +/- 1.7% of the [3H]LTC4 remaining at 1.5 min. Conversion is slower in vivo in cold-acclimated frogs, with 20.2 +/- 1.7% of the [3H]LTC4 remaining by 6 min. In blood taken from warm-acclimated frogs, conversion of [3H]LTC4 to [3H]LTD4 occurs more rapidly at 22 than at 5 degrees C. This pattern is similar in blood taken from cold-acclimated frogs, suggesting that no modification of gamma-glutamyl transpeptidase occurs at low temperature. [3H]LTE4 production is not observed in vivo or in vitro during the time course of the experiments. The rapid metabolism of LTC4 to LTD4 may represent an inactivation mechanism in amphibians. The cardiovascular effects of LTC4 in vivo may be much greater than current measurements indicate because of rapid conversion of LTC4 to the less potent LTD4.

Acclimatization↗

PubMed1994

LDH-B enzyme expression: the mechanisms of altered gene expression in acclimation and evolutionary adaptation.

The temperature-dependent expression of lactate dehydrogenase-B (LDH-B) was compared between two environmentally distinct populations of Fundulus heteroclitus acclimated to 10 degrees C and 20 degrees C. The variability in LDH-B protein expression both within and between populations is consistent with a model of thermal compensation. The northern population from the colder environment expresses a twofold greater amount of LDH-B protein than the warmer southern population at both acclimation temperatures. Correspondingly, both populations have 1.3-fold greater levels of the enzyme at an acclimation temperature of 10 degrees C in comparison to 20 degrees C. In 20 degrees C-acclimated individuals there is a similar twofold difference between populations for LDH-B mRNA concentrations, and LDH-B protein and mRNA are highly correlated (r = 0.81). After acclimation to 10 degrees C, this difference between populations is not seen and in the northern population there is no relationship between LDH-B mRNA and protein levels. Thus the molecular mechanism regulating LDH-B enzyme expression changes in response to temperature acclimation and is different between populations.

Acclimatization↗

PubMed1998

Thermal acclimation of phase behavior in plasma membrane lipids of rainbow trout hepatocytes.

The fluorescent probes laurdan (6-dodecanoyl-2-dimethylaminonapthalene) and N-[7-nitrobenz-2-oxa-1, 3-diazol-4-yl] dipalmitoyl-L-alpha-phosphatidylethanolamine (NBD-PE) in addition to Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) were employed to measure the phase behavior and physical properties of hepatocyte plasma membranes isolated from the livers of thermally acclimated (5 and 20 degreesC) rainbow trout (Oncorhynchus mykiss). The primary objective was to determine the extent to which the phase behavior of membrane lipids is conserved at different growth temperatures. Arrhenius plots of laurdan-generalized polarization revealed a single discontinuity believed to reflect either the onset of the gel-fluid phase transition or the formation of gel phase microdomains, and this discontinuity occurred at significantly higher temperatures in membranes of 20 degrees C (13.2 +/- 0.7 degrees C)- than 5 degrees C (7.2 +/- 0.1 degrees C)-acclimated trout. Similarly, acclimation from 5 to 20 degrees C increased both the onset temperature (from 2.0 +/- 0.3 to 7.2 +/- 0.6 degrees C) and the thermal range (from 10.9 +/- 0.5 to 16.0 +/- 1.0) of the gel-fluid transition as assessed by FTIR. The gel-fluid transition midpoint (approximately -2 degrees C) and completion temperatures (-9 degrees C) were unchanged by thermal acclimation. The anisotropy of NBD-PE fluorescence displayed a distinct minimum in membranes of both warm- and cold-acclimated trout (reflecting alterations in lipid packing that in pure lipid membranes ultimately lead to the formation of nonlamellar phases) in the range of 56-58 degrees C; only membranes of 5 degrees C-acclimated trout displayed an additional minimum at significantly lower temperatures (24.5 +/- 1.7 degrees C). Collectively, these data suggest that the regulation of both the temperature at which gel phase lipids begin to form in response to cooling as well as the propensity of membrane lipids to form nonlamellar phases at higher temperatures may be key features of membrane organization subject to adaptive regulation.

2-Naphthylamine↗

PubMed1999

Effect of an exercise-heat acclimation program on body fluid regulatory responses to dehydration in older men.

We examined if an exercise-heat acclimation program improves body fluid regulatory function in older subjects, as has been reported in younger subjects. Nine older (Old; 70 +/- 3 yr) and six younger (Young; 25 +/- 3 yr) male subjects participated in the study. Body fluid regulatory responses to an acute thermal dehydration challenge were examined before and after the 6-day acclimation session. Acute dehydration was produced by intermittent light exercise [4 bouts of 20-min exercise at 40% peak rate of oxygen consumption (VO(2 peak)) separated by 10 min rest] in the heat (36 degrees C; 40% relative humidity) followed by 30 min of recovery without fluid intake at 25 degrees C. During the 2-h rehydration period the subjects drank a carbohydrate-electrolyte solution ad libitum. In the preacclimation test, the Old lost approximately 0.8 kg during dehydration and recovered 31 +/- 4% of that loss during rehydration, whereas the Young lost approximately 1.2 kg and recovered 56 +/- 8% (P < 0.05, Young vs. Old). During the 6-day heat acclimation period all subjects performed the same exercise-heat exposure as in the dehydration period. Exercise-heat acclimation increased plasma volume by approximately 5% (P < 0.05) in Young subjects but not in Old. The body fluid loss during dehydration in the postacclimation test was similar to that in the preacclimation in Young and Old. The fractional recovery of lost fluid volume during rehydration increased in Young (by 80 +/- 9%; P < 0.05) but not in Old (by only 34 +/- 5%; NS). The improved recovery from dehydration in Young was mainly due to increased fluid intake with a small increase in the fluid retention fraction. The greater involuntary dehydration (greater fluid deficit) in Old was accompanied by reduced plasma vasopressin and aldosterone concentrations, renin activity, and subjective thirst rating (P < 0.05, Young vs. Old). Thus older people have reduced ability to facilitate body fluid regulatory function by exercise-heat acclimation, which might be involved in attenuation of the acclimation-induced increase in body fluid volume.

Acclimatization↗

PubMed1990

Functional and morphological changes in the eccrine sweat gland with heat acclimation.

Three adult male patas monkeys (11-15 kg) were heat acclimated by continuous exposure to an ambient temperature of 33 +/- 1 degree C at 13% relative humidity for 9 mo. During the last month, they were also exposed to 45 degrees C at 10% relative humidity for 4 h/day and 5 days/wk. Before and after 3 wk of acclimation, the animals were given a heat-tolerance test in which rectal (Tre) and mean skin (Tsk) temperatures, heart rate, and sweat rate (msw) were monitored during a 90-min exposure to 45 degrees C heat with 24% relative humidity under lenperone (1.0-1.4 mg/kg im) tranquilization. Maximal in vivo msw was also determined in response to subcutaneous injections (1 and 10% solutions) of methacholine (MCh). Before and after 9 wk and 9 mo of acclimation, sweat glands were dissected from biopsy specimens of the lateral calf, cannulated, and stimulated in vitro with MCh. Morphological measurements of isolated tubules were compared with maximal secretory rates produced by MCh stimulation. Three weeks of acclimation 1) reduced Tre and Tsk and increased msw during the heat tolerance test and 2) significantly increased maximal msw in response to MCh stimulation. Acclimation also increased (P less than 0.05) sweat gland size, as measured by tubular length and tubular volume. Maximal in vitro msw produced by MCh stimulation and msw per unit length of secretory coil also increased significantly. We conclude that heat acclimation increases the size of eccrine sweat glands and that these larger glands produce more sweat. They are also more efficient because they produce more sweat per unit length of secretory coil.

Acclimatization↗

PubMed2003

Heat acclimation increases skin vasodilation and sweating but not cardiac baroreflex responses in heat-stressed humans.

In the present study, to test the hypothesis that exercise-heat acclimation increases orthostatic tolerance via the improvement of cardiac baroreflex control in heated humans, we examined cardiac baroreflex and thermoregulatory responses, including cutaneous vasomotor and sudomotor responses, during whole body heating before and after a 6-day exercise-heat acclimation program [4 bouts of 20-min exercise at 50% peak rate of oxygen uptake separated by 10-min rest in the heat (36 degrees C; 50% relative humidity)]. Ten healthy young volunteers participated in the study. On the test days before and after the heat acclimation program, subjects underwent whole body heat stress produced by a hot water-perfused suit during supine rest for 45 min and 75 degrees head-up tilt (HUT) for 6 min. The sensitivity of the arterial baroreflex control of heart rate (HR) was calculated from the spontaneous changes in beat-to-beat arterial pressure and HR. The HUT induced a presyncopal sign in seven subjects in the preacclimation test and in six subjects in the postacclimation test, and the tilting time did not differ significantly between the pre- (241 +/- 33 s) and postacclimation (283 +/- 24 s) tests. Heat acclimation did not change the slope in the HR-esophageal temperature (Tes) relation and the cardiac baroreflex sensitivity during heating. Heat acclimation decreased (P < 0.05) the Tes thresholds for cutaneous vasodilation in the forearm and dorsal hand and for sweating in the forearm and chest. These findings suggest that short-term heat acclimation does not alter the spontaneous baroreflex control of HR during heat stress, although it induces adaptive change of the heat dissipation response in nonglabrous skin.

Acclimatization↗

PubMed2003

Body size as a latent variable in a structural equation model: thermal acclimation and energetics of the leaf-eared mouse.

Body size is one of the most important determinants of energy metabolism in mammals. However, the usual physiological variables measured to characterize energy metabolism and heat dissipation in endotherms are strongly affected by thermal acclimation, and are also correlated among themselves. In addition to choosing the appropriate measurement of body size, these problems create additional complications when analyzing the relationships among physiological variables such as basal metabolism, non-shivering thermogenesis, thermoregulatory maximum metabolic rate and minimum thermal conductance, body size dependence, and the effect of thermal acclimation on them. We measured these variables in Phyllotis darwini, a murid rodent from central Chile, under conditions of warm and cold acclimation. In addition to standard statistical analyses to determine the effect of thermal acclimation on each variable and the body-mass-controlled correlation among them, we performed a Structural Equation Modeling analysis to evaluate the effects of three different measurements of body size (body mass, m(b); body length, L(b) and foot length, L(f)) on energy metabolism and thermal conductance. We found that thermal acclimation changed the correlation among physiological variables. Only cold-acclimated animals supported our a priori path models, and m(b) appeared to be the best descriptor of body size (compared with L(b) and L(f)) when dealing with energy metabolism and thermal conductance. However, while m(b) appeared to be the strongest determinant of energy metabolism, there was an important and significant contribution of L(b) (but not L(f)) to thermal conductance. This study demonstrates how additional information can be drawn from physiological ecology and general organismal studies by applying Structural Equation Modeling when multiple variables are measured in the same individuals.

Acclimatization↗

PubMed2004

Changes in gene expression associated with acclimation to constant temperatures and fluctuating daily temperatures in an annual killifish Austrofundulus limnaeus.

Eurythermal ectotherms commonly thrive in environments that expose them to large variations in temperature on daily and seasonal bases. The roles played by alterations in gene expression in enabling eurytherms to adjust to these two temporally distinct patterns of thermal stress are poorly understood. We used cDNA microarray analysis to examine changes in gene expression in a eurythermal fish, Austrofundulus limnaeus, subjected to long-term acclimation to constant temperatures of 20, 26 and 37 degrees C and to environmentally realistic daily fluctuations in temperature between 20 degrees C and 37 degrees C. Our data reveal major differences between the transcriptional responses in the liver made during acclimation to constant temperatures and in response to daily temperature fluctuations. Control of cell growth and proliferation appears to be an important part of the response to change in temperature, based on large-scale changes in mRNA transcript levels for several key regulators of these pathways. However, cell growth and proliferation appear to be regulated by different genes in constant versus fluctuating temperature regimes. The gene expression response of molecular chaperones is also different between constant and fluctuating temperatures. Small heat shock proteins appear to play an important role in response to fluctuating temperatures whereas larger molecular mass chaperones such as Hsp70 and Hsp90 respond more strongly to chronic high temperatures. A number of transcripts that encode for enzymes involved in the biosynthesis of nitrogen-containing organic osmolytes have gene expression patterns that indicate a possible role for these 'chemical chaperones' during acclimation to chronic high temperatures and daily temperature cycling. Genes important for the maintenance of membrane integrity are highly responsive to temperature change. Changes in fatty acid saturation may be important in long-term acclimation and in response to fluctuating temperatures; however cholesterol metabolism may be most critical for short-term acclimation to fluctuating temperatures. The variable effect of temperature on the expression of genes with daily rhythms of expression indicates that there is a complex interaction between the temperature cycle and daily rhythmicity in gene expression. A number of new hypotheses concerning temperature acclimation in fish have been generated as a result of this study. The most notable of these hypotheses is the possibility that the high mobility group b1 (HMGB1) protein, which plays key roles in the assembly of transcription initiation and enhanceosome complexes, may act as a compensatory modulator of transcription in response to temperature, and thus as a global gene expression temperature sensor. This study illustrates the utility of cDNA microarray approaches in both hypothesis-driven and 'discovery-based' investigations of environmental effects on organisms.

Acclimatization↗

PubMed2004

Local action of exogenous nitric oxide (NO) on the skin blood flow of rock pigeons (Columba livia) is affected by acclimation and skin site.

We studied the blood flow over dorsal and abdominal, non-brooding patch skin of two groups of pigeons: one group was thermally acclimated to cold (winter-acclimatized, WAC) while the other group was acclimated to a mesic environment (thermally non-challenged, NOC). Two bilateral patches at the measurement sites were treated simultaneously with a gel containing sodium nitrate and ascorbic acid, to generate nitric oxide (NO), and a vehicle gel. Blood flow was measured by laser Doppler velocimetry. Changes induced by these treatments were calculated against basic blood flow values for the corresponding patch. The results showed that the basic blood flow over the abdominal skin patches at room temperature was higher than over the dorsal skin in both acclimation states, but comparison revealed a sustainably higher level of basic skin blood flow in the WAC pigeons. The local response to exogenous NO was non-uniform over the two skin areas measured, and a specific vasodilatory action on the abdominal microvessels was recorded in the NOC pigeons. Abdominal vasodilatation in the WAC pigeons seemed to involve other mechanisms as well as local NO-dependent ones, among which the role of cold-induced vasodilatation (CIVD) is discussed here. Interestingly, the dorsal skin seemed to be less responsive to the action of NO, irrespective of the acclimation state. Our results show that acclimation state and skin site affect the action of exogenous NO on local skin blood flow, and we suggest that the differences reflect acclimation-induced changes in the vascularity of the skin and in its sensitivity to thermal stimuli and that the roles of the abdominal and dorsal skin are different with respect to environmental changes.

Acclimatization↗