AJP - Regulatory, Integrative and Comparative Physiology, Vol 245, Issue 3 321-R328, Copyright © 1983 by American Physiological Society
Circadian and arousal state influences on thermoregulation in the pigeon
H. C. Heller, R. Graf and W. Rautenberg
We report here the characteristics of spinal thermosensitivity in pigeons
as a function of arousal state and time of day. At any time in the
light-dark (LD) cycle, the thresholds for shivering and panting were lower
during non-rapid-eye-movement (NREM) sleep than during wakefulness. These
thresholds in both awake and sleeping animals were lower during D than
during L. The gain of the metabolic response to spinal cooling was nearly
the same in wakefulness and NREM sleep. Shivering and panting responses to
spinal thermal stimulations were impaired during REM sleep compared with
wakefulness and NREM sleep. The results support the idea that central
nervous system mechanisms controlling arousal states and circadian
rhythmicity have separate and additive influences on temperature regulation
in the pigeon.
