Cardiorespiratory responses to shivering in vagotomized pigeons during normoxia and hypoxia

We measured respiratory, cardiovascular and blood gas responses to shivering during normoxia and hypoxia in five bilaterally, cervically vagotomized pigeons and compared these data with those previously reported in pigeons with intact vagi (Gleeson et al. 1986). Such neural section in birds denervates, among other receptors, the carotid bodies and intrapulmonary chemoreceptors. Normoxic breathing frequency (fR) and ventilation (VE) were decreased after vagotomy. Intact pigeons showed increases in oxygen consumption (VO2), tidal volume (VT), fR and VE during shivering. Vagotomized pigeons showed similar though slightly smaller increases in fR, VO2 and VE during shivering, but VT did not change. Normoxic heart rate was greater after vagotomy and was increased during shivering as in intact pigeons. Mean arterial blood pressure (MBPa) and stroke volume were not affected by vagotomy or shivering. At the onset of shivering both intact and vagotomized pigeons exhibited immediate increases in ventilation and heart rate. Exposure of vagotomized pigeons to hypoxic gas (fractional inspired oxygen concentration, FIO2 = 0.12) during cooling completely abolished shivering electromyogram (EMG) activity. In contrast, shivering in intact pigeons was not completely inhibited until the FIO2 fell below 0.10. We conclude that bilateral, cervical vagotomy in the pigeon causes hypoventilation and tachycardia during normoxia, but that these denervated birds are still able to rapidly effect cardiorespiratory adjustments to shivering. It is suggested that these responses are mediated mainly via afferent feedback from the shivering muscles. Hypoxia inhibits shivering in both intact and vagotomized birds and the mechanism is probably related to the reduced O2 delivery to the central structures that integrate thermoregulatory demand and coordinate appropriate responses.