WATER INTAKE OF RATS IMMEDIATELY AFTER EXPOSURE TO A COLD ENVIRONMENT

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Abstract
Rats exposed to air at 6 °C for 1, 3, 6, 10, and 12 days manifested an apparent "thirst" upon return to a warm (26 °C) environment. Drinking began within 80 minutes and continued for at least 24 hours after removal from the cold. Up to 10% of the 24-hour fluid intake was ingested within one-half hour after removal from the cold. During exposure to cold for 1 to 3 days, water intake either remained unchanged or decreased compared with values obtained before cold exposure, while food intake increased within 24 hours. The relationship between simultaneous daily intake of food and water was altered significantly by cold such that less water was ingested for a given food intake during exposure to cold than before exposure. A state of dehydration relative to controls may be present in cold-exposed rats as suggested by their decreased water intake for a given food intake and by increases in both osmolality and chloride concentration of serum. The increased water intake immediately after removal from the cold may be a manifestation of the relative dehydration. However, persistence of an increased water intake up to 24 hours after removal from the cold is unexplained.

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