Influence of Application of Cold or Heat to the Dog's Body upon the Epinephrine Output Rate

Abstract

The suprarenal vein bloods were collected from the non-anaesthetized, non-fastened dogs. The dorsal roots from IX. thoracic to III. lumbar cord were previously sectioned, and the lumbar route preparation was made. The epinephrine content was assayed by means of the rabbit intestine seg-ment method.
1. Cooling of the dog was performed by means of a rubber coat, doubly layered, filled with cold water or by placing the animal's body in direct contact with an ice block. The anal temperature decreased 1.5° or 1.7° in some cases, the lowest temperature being estimated as 37°. No augmentation was noted in the rate of epinephrine discharge from the supra-renal gland.
2. Warming or heating of the animal was carried out by means of the rubber coat. When the temperature in the coat was not so high, the epine-phrine secretion rate remained unaltered, but when the temperature of the water in the coat was increased, the anal temperature ascended more, and when the latter exceeded about 41°C the reactions of the animal became excessive, and at the same time the velocity with which epinephrine was liberated increased notably, such as about seven times that during the rest spells. The after-action was fairly long.