Search NASA⌕ Search

Engineering topics

South, F. E.

Publications and source records attributed to South, F. E..

Responses to preoptic temperature manipulation in the awake and hibernating marmot

Responses of normothermic and hibernating marmots to manipulations of the preoptic-hypothalamic temperature (T-PO) were experimentally investigated. An exponential increase in open-loop gain (OLG) occurred with decreases in temperature; it is concluded that this response can be explained by recruitment of cold-sensitive neurons brought about by low-temperature inactivation of inhibitory neurons. Marmots not only seek out the hibernating state, but also utilize all the thermoregulatory means they possess to remain in it for a given period of time.

South, F. E.↗

Contraction kinetics of ventricular muscle from hibernating and nonhibernating mammals.

Temperature-dependent studies of excitability and tension-production kinetics were made on isolated trabecular strips from hibernating hamsters (HH), nonhibernating hamsters (CH), and from rats (R). The strips were electrically driven and isometric tension along with its first time derivative (dP/dt) were recorded. Excitabilities of both hamster tissues were greater than that of rat tissue from 5 to 38 C with HH greater than CH. Peak tension production followed the order of HH greater than CH greater than R at all temperatures below 24 C. Rat preparations showed an optimum peak tension production at about 31 C while HH and CH showed optima between 17 and 24 C. Times to maximal rates of tension rise showed significant variation. In this respect, the order of sensitivity to decreasing temperature was HH greater than CH greater than R.

South, F. E.↗

Hibernation, sleep, and thermogulation

Nerve activity adaptation to hypothermia and the differences in CNS activity during hypothermia are studied on marmots. Thermoregulatory experiments on hibernating animals indicated a sympathetic response.

South, F. E.↗