Sympathoadrenal and adrenal hormonal responses of newborn calves to hypothermia

Seventeen newborn Holstein-Friesian bull calves were cold-stressed by total body immersion in water at 15 to 17 degrees C until the core body temperature was lowered by 10 degrees C. Nine additional calves (noncold-stressed) were immersed in water at 35 to 37 degrees C. Eight of the cold-stressed calves were euthanatized soon after removal from the water while the others (n=9) were allowed to recover in a cold room at 4 degrees C for 72 hours. Noncold-stressed calves were kept at 25 degrees C for 72 hours. Sympathoadrenal an adrenal hormonal responses of calves were determined by analysis of plasma for glucose, corticosteroids, and catecholamines. Plasma concentration of glucose and corticosteroids rapidly increased in cold-stressed calves soon after immersion and remained higher (P less than of equal to 0.05) than concentrations in noncold-stressed calves during immersion and most of recovery. There was a threefold increase (P less than or equal to 0.05) in concentration of catecholamines in plasma of cold-stressed calves and only a slight increase in noncold-stressed calves during immersion. Catecholamine concentrations remained elevated in cold-stressed calves during most of recovery. Results provide direct evidence that sympathoadrenal and adrenal hormonal responses to cold are well developed in newborn calves and that changes in concentrations of glucose, corticosteroids, and catecholamines in plasma of these animals are sensitive indicators of their ability to respond to cold stress.