Serum concentrations of thyroid and adrenal hormones and TSH in men after repeated 1 h-stays in a cold room.
We exposed six healthy men to 1-h cold air (10 degrees C) daily for 11 days and measured adrenal and thyroid hormones and TSH in serum before and after the cold air exposure on days 0, 5 and 10. We observed that on days 0, 5 and 10 the resting levels and the levels after the cold exposure in serum adrenaline, thyroid hormones and TSH did not significantly change, whereas the serum noradrenaline levels showed a significant 2.2-2.5-fold increase in response to the cold air exposures. The increases were similar indicating that the subjects did not show signs of habituation in their noradrenaline responses. Therefore the 1-h cold air exposure is not sufficiently intensive to reduce the cold-induced sympathetic response.
Korhonen
I
I
Department of Physiology and Thule Institute, University of Oulu, Institute of Occupational Health, Finland.
Hassi
J
J
Leppäluoto
J
J
D000222:Adaptation, Physiological; D000305:Adrenal Cortex Hormones / Q000097:blood*; D000328:Adult; D003080:Cold Temperature; D004781:Environmental Exposure / Q000032:analysis*; D005387:Finland; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D012016:Reference Values; D013963:Thyroid Hormones / Q000097:blood*; D013972:Thyrotropin / Q000097:blood*
D000305:Adrenal Cortex Hormones; D013963:Thyroid Hormones; D013972:Thyrotropin