[Regional redistribution of blood during air cooling of unanesthetized rats]

3-hr exposure to air at +5 degrees C of unrestrained rats evoked a relative reduction of blood volume in vessels of the skin, skeletal muscles, abdominal and pelvic organs (except liver). Increase of the blood volume occurred in the brain, thoracic organs, and in the liver. No significant decrease of the rectal temperature was noticed at that, in spite of cooling of the skin of different parts of the body and tail. Cooling of restrained rats at +5 degrees C during 1 and 3 hrs decreased the rectal temperature. The main direction of the blood redistribution involved its removal from the liver to the deep muscle tissues. At the beginning of the cooling and immediately after self--warming the relative increase of the blood volume was more obvious in the skeletal muscles of the anterior body parts.