title: Role of physical effort in the etiology of rat heatstroke injury and mortality.
abstract: A total of 171 untrained, unacclimatized, and unanesthetized rats were used to evaluate the effects of sedentary and work-induced hyperthermia on the incidence of mortality and cellular injury, 24 h postexposure. Cellular injury was defined as serum transaminase activity (SGPT and SGOT) exceeding 1,000 IU/l (heatstroke levels). Both the percent mortality and the percentage of 24-h survivors with transaminase levels above 1,000 IU/l were plotted against maximum core temperatures. Exertion-induced hyperthermia produced a significantly higher incidence of cellular injury and heatstroke death at lower core temperatures than hyperthermia alone. With hyperthermia only, the SGPT and SGOT dose-response curves were identical. When work was combined with hyperthermia, there was a greater incidence of elevated SGOT at lower core temperatures. These curves bore a striking resemblance to curves reflecting heat- and/or work-induced mortality in humans. The results suggest a direct role of physical effort in causing heatstroke injury and mortality.
mesh_terms: D000410:Alanine Transaminase / Q000378:metabolism; D000818:Animals; D001219:Aspartate Aminotransferases / Q000378:metabolism; D001831:Body Temperature; D006359:Heat Exhaustion / Q000209:etiology / Q000401:mortality*; D006358:Hot Temperature; D008297:Male; D005082:Physical Exertion; D051381:Rats
chemical_list: D001219:Aspartate Aminotransferases; D000410:Alanine Transaminase