Cardiovascular concomitants of ultrasound production during cold exposure in infant rats

Two experiments explored the cardiovascular consequences of extreme cold exposure and their relationship with ultrasound production in infant rats. Experiment 1 addressed the thermoregulatory and cardiovascular concomitants of ultrasound production during cold exposure in rats pretreated with saline or the ganglionic blocker chlorisondamine (5 mg/kg). For both groups, emission of ultrasound was associated with hypothermia and bradycardia. Experiment 2 explored whether the hypothermia experienced by pups in Experiment 1 is associated with increased blood viscosity, which is an important factor affecting venous return to the heart. Blood viscosity increased significantly as temperature decreased from 38 degrees C to 22 degrees C. These experiments suggest that, during extreme cold exposure, decreased cardiac output and increased blood viscosity combine to diminish venous return. The authors have hypothesized that pups respond to decreased return by recruiting the abdominal compression reaction, a physiological maneuver that propels blood back to the heart, resulting in emission of ultrasound as an acoustic by-product.