Effect of cold exposure on liver and muscle cAMP content and cAMP phosphodiesterase activity

Adenosine 3',5'-cyclic monophosphate (cAMP) concentration and 3',5'-cyclic-nucleotide phosphodiesterase (PDE) activity were measured in skeletal muscle, heart, and liver of rats exposed to 1, 3, 5, and 7 days of cold. Cyclic nucleotide concentration increased in fast-twitch red muscle at the same time that PDE activity was decreasing. Nucleotide concentration and enzyme activity of slow-twitch red muscle were not altered by the cold exposure. The PDE activity of fast-twitch white muscle was elevated approximately 50% above control after 1 and 3 days of cold exposure. By the 5th day in the cold, white muscle PDE activity had returned to control levels and remained there through the 7th day of experimentation. cAMP concentration in hearts of cold-exposed rats was significantly (P less than 0.01) elevated above control at all time points measured. Myocardial PDE activity was elevated above control (P less than 0.05) at 1 and 3 days of cold exposure but returned to control levels by the 5th day in the cold. Hepatic cAMP and PDE activity were elevated above control at all time points analyzed. These data suggest that changes in cyclic nucleotide metabolism play a role in attaining homeostasis during acute cold exposure.