title: Effects of reserpine and propranolol on urinary excretion of histamine and 5-hydroxytryptamine in severe cold exposure in normal and cold-acclimated Guinea-pigs.
abstract: The effects of cold-acclimation, reserpine and propranolol were investigated on the survival time, rectal temperature and urinary excretion of histamine and 5-HT in guinea-pigs at -20 degrees C. Both reserpine and propranolol shortened survival time by 3 hours and 1.5 hours respectively, the shortest time being in the cold-acclimated reserpine-treated animals. There was a trend in severe cold exposure to increased excretion of histamine both in the non-acclimated and in cold-acclimated animals. Reserpine did not change the excretion but increased the concentration of histamine from 0.08 to 0.25 microgram/ml. Propranolol proved to be a histamine liberator by increasing the excretion in non-acclimated from 0.10 to 1.40 microgram/h and concentration from 0.10 to 4.52 microgram/ml and in cold-acclimated animals the excretion from 0.20 to 2.85 microgram/h and the concentration from 0.08 to 3.23 microgram/ml. Severe cold increased the excretion of 5-HT in the non-acclimated animals from 0.08 to 0.21 microgram/h and cold acclimation increased this to 0.17 microgram/h. Reserpine diminished the excretion from 0.08 to 0.03 microgram/h in the non-acclimated animals, but propranolol had no effect. The results showed that the excretion of histamine and 5-HT into urine are changed in cold and can be modified with drugs. The application of the findings in proving a cold stress deserves further study.
mesh_terms: D000064:Acclimatization; D000818:Animals; D003080:Cold Temperature; D005260:Female; D006168:Guinea Pigs; D006632:Histamine / Q000652:urine*; D007035:Hypothermia / Q000652:urine*; D008297:Male; D011433:Propranolol / Q000494:pharmacology*; D012110:Reserpine / Q000494:pharmacology*; D012701:Serotonin / Q000652:urine*; D013312:Stress, Physiological / Q000378:metabolism
chemical_list: D012701:Serotonin; D006632:Histamine; D012110:Reserpine; D011433:Propranolol