Ambient temperature effects on hypothalamic, rectal and skin temperatures in Coturnix

Pergamon Press Ltd.

Life Sciences Yol . 5 pp . 188-1896, 1966 " Printed in Great Brita~n .

AMBIENT TEMPERATURE EFFECTS ON HYPOTHALAMIC, RECTAL AND SKIN TEMPERATURES Mohamed K .

Yousef*, Larry Z .

IN COTURNIX

McFarland and Wilbor 0 .

Wilson

Departments of Poultry Husbandry and Anatomy University of California, Davis, California 95616

(Received 6 Hay 1966 ; in final form 16 August 1966) Hypothalamic temperatures have (2,13), dog

(3,15,16),

are not available on rectal

and skin

relationships

rat (1),

ox

been investigated

(12), and monkey (14,16) .

the inter-relationships

temperatures

in birds .

Data

of hypothalamic,

This report presents the

found among these temperatures in Japanese quail

( coturnix coturnix

a onica)

ture

hot environment (32°C)

(21°C) or in a

24 hours to a

in the cat

held first in a thermoneutral

tempera-

and then subjected for

cold environment (5°C) . Materials and Methods

Experiment l .

Two male and

seven female coturnix weighing

approximately 110 grams each at the start of the experiment were studied .

Hypothalamic temperature was measured with a model

Tele-thermometer Ohio)

(Yellow Springs

and a tissue

anterolateral needle which

Instrument Co ., Yellow Springs,

implantation probe

hypothalamus through an had

been implanted

inserted

into the

18 gauge X

15 mm hypodermic

previously using the stereotaxic

instrument of McFarland and Wilson at a

(20) .

Temperature was recorded

depth of 8-9 mm from the top of the skull,

in an

between the optic chiasm and anterior commissure . Present address :

43 TF

Dairy Husbandry Department, Missouri, Columbia, Mo .

188

area located

The quail were

University of

~~aTURE EFFECTß

1888 allowed 2

to 3 weeks

measured .

Skin

the rostral

for

recovery before the

margin of the breast muscle (against the

placed lightly against stable reading was

for all

taken on three

2

46 TUC,

(21°C) .

hours .

the initial

the temperatures

using a

this,

While there,

a

and

normal

they were placed

in

a

the birds were denied

Temperatures were recorded every the end of

hours for

the next 8 hours .

at 21°C and 32°C,

in

respectively, and ex-

light :l6 hours dark or

began when

24

environment of 21°C and

Two groups of female Coturnix were reared

posed to either 8 hours

to 14

light :l0 dark .

the birds were 14 weeks of age with each

temperature group containing 8 females .

1

probe,

8 hours and once again at

recorded every 2

poultry climatic chambers

in

place until

rectal

then were returned to an

Experiment 2 .

corded as

in

so that the calorigenic effect of metabolism would

The quail

The experiment

The thermistor was

temperature was measured with

Following

influence the temperatures .

hours during

of the

three areas were established from readings

(5°C) for 24 hours .

feed and water not

model

Rectal

keel

at

separate days white the quail were in a thermo-

temperature

cold room

probe .

the surface and held

attained .

a Tele-thermometer,

neutral

temperature was

temperature was measured under the feathers

sternum) with an appropriate skin

temperatures

Vol . 5, No . 20

Temperatures were re-

Experiment 1, except that the quail were given only

week for recovery from the surgery .

corded daily for 3 days

Normal

from the members

they were subjected to cold

temperatures were

of both groups,

re-

and then

(5°C) without feed or water for

24

hours after which they were returned to a comfort temperature (21°C) . Results Experiment 1 . thalamic

temperature

In the thermoneutral in Coturnix

averaged

temperature the about 43°C .

hypo-

Both

it and

vol . 5, rectal

No .

temperature were significantly

temperature

1889

TEMPERATURE EFFECTS

?0

(Fig .

(P< .O1)

higher than

skin

1) .

FIG .I

FIG .

1

Hypothalamic (HT), rectal (RT) and skin (ST) temperatures of Coturnix from Experiment l . The mean values are shown with their standard deviations . After 2 rectal,

hours exposure

hypothalamic

hours exposure

(P< .O1)

however, rectal

the partial

recovery pattern

tively, rectal 2 hours

rectal

and

above the and skin

in

(P< .001) temperatures .

and skin

temperatures

At 4

had not followed

of the hypothalamus .

skin temperatures were 0 .35°C and 2

hour values .

temperatures

after returning

these temperatures nately

and skin

had occurred

the hypothalamic temperature was 1 .6°C above the 2

hour value ;

posure

to cold, decreases

At 6 hours ex1 .84°C, respec-

After 24 hours exposure the

showed no further recovery,

the quail

to the thermoneutral

had returned to pretreatment levels .

the probe used to record hypothalamic

but within

temperature Unfortu-

temperature was

damaged midway through the experiment which prevented following the hypothalamic temperature throughout the experiment .

m~FRe T~E EFFECTS

1890 Experiment skin

2.

temperatures

ture and

light)

difference

of the hypothalamic,

to different environmental

appear in Table 1 .

rectal

conditions

and

(tempera-

There was no significant

in either hypothalamic,

tween quailreared 14

The responses

Vol . 5, No . 20

rectal

under 21°C versus

or skin

32°C or 8

temperatures be-

light :l6 dark versus

light :l0 dark . TABLE

1

Hypothalamic, rectal and skin temperatures of Coturnix in Experiment 2 reared under different environmental conditions . The mean values are given with their standard deviations . Environmental temperature °C

Light/ day hours

21

8

5

42 .7 + .4

42 .0 + .4

39 .1

+

.5

21

14

3

42 .7 +

.7

42 .0 +

.4

39 .0 +

.6

32

8

3

42 .8 +

.6

42 .2 +

.3

39 .8 +

.4

32

14

5

42 .7 +

.5

42 .1

.3

39 .7 +

.6

The the quail (5°C)

changes reared

No . of Coturnix

TEMPERATURE, Hypot a amic ec a

in hypothalamic,

rectal

+

and skin

Fig .

n

temperatures of

at 21°C and then subjected to cold

are shown in

°C

temperature

2.

Hypothalamic and skin temperatures dropped significantly (P< .001) rectal

within the first 2 hours of exposure to cold .

temperature was

not depressed significantly .

the hypothalamic and skin temperatures had recovered the hypothalamic

However,

At 4

hours

somewhat .

temperature continued

However,

after 6 hours

increase

but the skin temperature decreased .

After 24 hours

to of

and hypothalamic temperatures had not changed appreciably from the 6 hour reading, but skin temperature was in-

cold exposure, rectal creased . the

All

temperatures returned to pretreatment

first 2 hours after the quail

were

levels within

returned to 21 ° C .

1891

RA TURE EFFECTS

Vol . 5, No . 20

ooy~

a

:

TIME-

24 Hour Clock

FIG .

2

Hypothalami"c (HT), rectal (RT) and skin (ST) temperatûres of Coturnix from Experiment 2 which were reared at 21 C . The mean values are shown with their standard deviations . Coturnix reared at 32°C approximating those described that

(Fig .

3)

had temperature changes

for quail

reared at 21°C, except

skin temperature showed a sustained elevation after the first of cold exposure which continued

parallel

to the hypothala-

mic temperature for the remainder of the

period .

All

returned to pretreatment levels within 2

hours following the re-

2 hours

moval

of

the quail

to

a thermoneutral

Six out of 16 quail The

exposure .

Up

to

peratures with temperatures, died . than

Those those

a

that

6 hours

reared at

reared at

cold exposure

both

the general

their temperatures

fell in

of cold

trend in tem

hypothalamic

32°C showed a greater loss

21 ° C .

(Table 2) .

occurred after 4 hours

time they followed

recovery noticed in

but at

temperature .

died during the

turning point of their survival

temperatures

and

skin

and the quail temperature

1892

T~~e TURE EFFECTS

Vol . S i No . 2U

Ft9 . 3

rIG .

3

Hypothalamic (HT), rectal (RT} and skin (ST} temperatures of Coturnix from Experiment 2 which were reared at 32°C . The mean values are shown Wlth their standard deviations . Discussion The early classical (7,8,19)

experiments of Magoun and

showed the hypothalamus

body temperature . discussed

Recently

in detail

The results indicate an

(6,

skin temperatures

ii.

be

involves

this subject has

the

regard to whole body

after

to cold

temperature

hours exposure

supply to

deviations during

hypothalamic and cutaneous

constriction

the

and

r~gu~latisn . t.ES~peratures

(5°Cj was

fv'iowed by I .' this

the arterial

to ccld cau ".ä5

vasoconstriction . is

si~irr

somehow control

then exposure

hypothalamus

due to

and

wi~i~ CJturnix

adjustment to cold .

cold receptors

the hypothalamus,

evidence that

re~tewed

temi~erature

hypothalamic

means that cutaneous

been

inter-relationship betweer ~ypoci,aiareic arsa

of both

nearly parallel

in regu~ation of

present experir,er~ts

Significant depression 2

coworkers

23) .

obtained in

important

to

his

However,

both

:~a have na

not stimulati~ig cut ;~~EOUS

its lowered tenrpera!ure .

vaso-

5, No . 20

Pol .

~~sTÛRE EFFECTâ

1893

TABLE 2 Hypothalamic, rectal and skin temperatures of Coturnix from Experiment 2 which died during cold exposure . The mean values are given with their standard deviations .

Coturnix reared at 21°C

No . of Coturnix

Just before exposure Exposure

TEMPERATURE, Hypothalamic

3

42 .4 +

,2

.4

°C

Rectal

Skin

41 .8 ± .6

39 .1

+

36,8 +

.3

to 5°C

2

hrs .

3

38 .5 +

4

hrs .

3

39 .7 + 1 .1

40 .8 +

6

hrs .

2

38 .2 + 1 .6

39 .5 + 1 .8

24 hrs .

p

_______

1 .4

1,4

34,0 + 1 .9

______

_______

Coturnix reared at 32°C Just before exposure

3

42 .5 +

42 .0 + 1 .1

39 .6 + 1 .0

hrs .

3

35 .3 + 7 .6

35 .0 + 10 .0

29 .5 + 7 .4

4 hrs .

3

38 .5 + 2 .5

39 .9 +

1 .8

33 .7 T 2 .1

6 hrs .

2

34 .1

34 .0 + 10 .2

28 .0 + 8 .1

24 hrs .

0

Exposure to 2

.7

5°C

+ 7 .9

_______

_______

_______

The ability of Coturnix to adjust after 2 hours exposure cold was

indicated by subsequent increases

temperatures which probably anisms,

by

increasing

in

hypothalamic and skin

resulted by preventing

heat loss mech

heat production especially through

and by releasing calorigenic hormones . strated that cooling the hypothalamus

Anderson et a1 . of

to

the dog will

shivering (3)

demon-

produce

1894

Yol . 5, No . 20

TEIiPERATUEE EFFECTS

shivering .

However,

Andersson et al .

of the preoptic region

(4)

found

that local cooling

of the anterior hypothalamus

in goats caused

a rapid stimulation of the thyroid gland without shivering . (21_) have observed that bilateral of the thermal sensitive area

lesions

(22)

that lesions

in the hypothalamus of Coturnix re-

reached the same conclusion affecting body temperature

disappearance in

the

Iisi

in

control were

the median eminence blocked the

rate .

rat and reported

located close to those affecting thyroid function . lesions

at least part

destroying

sulted in depression of the thyroxine Iiai Reichlin

found to

that the central

be

In hamsters

accelerated release of

from the thyroid gland during prolonged exposure to 5°C

This observation suggests

Ne

nervous system is

(18j . re-

sponsible during exposure to cold for triggering the pituitarythyroid axis to release

thyroxine,

indicating the participation of

the thyroid gland in the process of acclimation of homeotherms cold .

The adrenal

roles in

cortex (9) and medulla

the acclimation process .

may influence the hydroxytryptamine, Our results

(10) also play important

In addition,

release of adrenaline,

the

hypothalamus

nor-adrenaline and 5-

which may affect body temperature

are similar to those of Adams

that drinking cold milk

(5°C) resulted

hypothalamic temperature in with'the finding of Hammel

the cat . et al .

(11) .

(2), who

in immediate

reported

depression

(17), who indicated

cold

than

in hot surroundings .

species differences

and

and,

of

However, our data disagree that the

hypothalamic temperature of monkeys and dogs changed very between hot and cold environments

to

little

in fact, may be higher in

This disagreement may be due to

to the milder cold environment

(15°C)

they

used . In their review of temperature regulation, Benzinger et al . (5)

discussed the

hypothalamic

"heat loss"

and "heat maintenance"

Qol .

T1~QsERATURE EFFECTS

5, No . 2o

centers, thermal

as well

insensitive synaptic

hypothalamus .

cold afferents

as the cutaneous

1895 passing to a

relay center located in

The more anterior

"heat loss center"

sensitive, and on cooling responds

by

the posterior

is

thermal

reducing the activity of

heat loss mechanisms of the body and stimulating heat production . Thethermosensitive area of the hypothalamus found in coturnix was located

in the anterior hypothalamus

commissures ;

at

this region corresponding

tion to the thermosensitive

the level in general

of the anterior anatomical

"heat loss center" of mammals .

fore, exposure to cold could have caused the cutaneous receptors to the

loca-

There-

cold

influence the posterior "heat maintenance center" of

hypothalamus

in such a way as to lower the temperature of the

anterior "heat loss center" which responded by lowering heat losses .

In coturnix this would have occurred somewhere between

2 and 4 hours after exposure to cold . the cutaneous

cold receptors

"heat loss center" responses of This from the

may be

The probable

in influencing

National

the temperature of the

indicated by the similar temperature

skin and hypothalamus during

study was

importance of

supported by USPHS

cold exposure .

Research Grant NB 04171

Institute for Neurological

Diseases

and Blindness .

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and H .

T . HAMMEL .

2.

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