Cardiac output in hibernating ground squirrels

Publisher Website
Google Scholar
Abstract
After chronic cannulation of the aorta and right ventricle with polyethylene tubes, ground squirrels re-entered hibernation and were used for cardiac output determinations (Fick principle). The cardiac output of a 210- to 220-g hibernating ground squirrel at a body temperature of 7 C was about 1.0 ml/min, about 65 times smaller than in the active state. A similar decrease occurred in the oxygen consumption of the hibernating animals. The arteriovenous difference of oxygen contents of the blood was unchanged in hibernation despite somewhat decreased oxygen content of arterial blood. The hematocrit ratio was 57 vol % in euthermic ground squirrels and only 40 in hibernating animals.

This publication has 1 reference indexed in Scilit: