Pathophysiology of thermoregulation in patients with poikilothermia

To investigate the thermoregulatory mechanisms underlying poikilothermia in man, we have studied 4 female patients (age 28-37 yr) with poikilothermia, most probably of hypothalamic origin, as well as 4 female volunteers of similar age. In a climatic chamber the participants were subjected to cold stress (16.5 degrees C) and subsequent heat exposure (40 degrees C). In the volunteers cold stress did not influence the rectal temperature; cooling induced a marked shivering response and an immediate peripheral vasoconstriction. Subsequent heat challenge induced a slight rise in the rectal temperature (from 36.3 +/- 0.2 to 37.0 +/- 0.3 degrees C) and a marked sweat secretion in all control subjects. All patients were hypothermic at the start of the experiment. Cooling induced a decrease in the rectal temperature of 0.3-0.9 degrees C. Three patients showed neither peripheral vasoconstriction nor a shivering response to cold stress. In contradistinction to the control subjects, in all patients an afterdrop of the rectal temperature of 0.3-0.5 degrees C was observed once heating of the environment had started; thereafter a progressive rise in core temperature occurred up to 38.5 (38.0) degrees C. In none of the patients sweat secretion was clinically visible. These results reveal that in these patients with poikilothermia the disorder of thermoregulation is accompanied by inadequate cutaneous vasomotor adjustment and disturbed sweat response and likely reduced metabolic response to cold stress.