Role of Adrenaline and Noradrenaline in Chemical Regulation of Heat Production

Abstract

Cold-adapted spinal rats showed a greater increase in oxygen consumption following adrenaline than did warm-adapted ones. Thyroidectomy reduced the responses of warm- and cold-adapted spinal rats to about the same levels. In curarized rats, exposure to cold resulted in a greater increase in oxygen consumption and lower blood glucose concentration than adrenaline injection did. While noradrenaline had little effect in warm-adapted rats, there was a marked calorigenic response in cold-adapted rats. The results indicate, in addition to the increased calorigenic action of adrenaline in cold-adapted rats, a greatly increased calorigenic response to noradrenaline. The possibility that noradrenaline may be the mediator in chemical regulation of heat production is discussed.