CHANGES IN THE RESTING POTENTIAL OF SKELETAL MUSCLE IN RATS WITH COLD ACCLIMATION

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Abstract
The resting potential of single cells in the flexor thigh muscles of rats was measured in an attempt to find a change in the electrical properties of the cell membrane with cold acclimation, in order to identify and relate metabolic changes occurring with non-shivering thermogenesis. The mean resting potential of cells in cold-acclimated rats was found to be slightly but significantly higher than in the controls. A larger temperature gradient with depth was measured in the cold-acclimated animals than in the controls. If the Q10 of resting potential with temperature is as great as 1.16, the higher potential in the cold-acclimated rats may be accounted for by this temperature difference. The resting potential was also found to vary with depth in both groups of rats. This could not be attributed to temperature gradients, and change from red to white muscle cells with depth is thought to be the main factor for the increase of potential with depth.

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