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Updated: Oct 6, 2026

A Simple and Inexpensive Method for Determining Cold Sensitivity and Adaptation in Mice
Published on: March 17, 2015
Effect of cold stress on cholinergic receptors in the rat adrenal gland
L L Miner1, A Baruchin, B B Kaplan
1Western Psychiatric Institute and Clinic, University of Pittsburgh, PA 15213.
Abstract:
The effects of cold exposure on cholinergic binding sites in the rat adrenal gland were assessed by examining the binding of [125I]alpha-bungarotoxin (BTX), a nicotonic receptor antagonist and [3H]quinuclidinyl benzilate (QNB), a muscarinic receptor antagonist, to adrenal tissue homogenates. Cold exposure resulted in significant alterations in both nicotinic and muscarinic binding. Exposure to cold for 4 and 7 days resulted in a significant decrease in QNB binding. Scatchard analysis indicates that this alteration is due to a decrease in binding sites (Bmax) rather than a change in ligand affinity (Kd). In contrast, chronic cold exposure produced a significant increase in BTX binding sites. These results indicate that adrenal cholinergic receptors are altered in reciprocal fashion by chronic cold exposure, and that this change may represent a key event in the sympathoadrenal system's adaptive response to chronic cold stress.
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