AJP - Regulatory, Integrative and Comparative Physiology, Vol 246, Issue 3 380-R383, Copyright © 1984 by American Physiological Society
Effect of exposure to low temperature on normal and iron-deficient subjects
C. Martinez-Torres, L. Cubeddu, E. Dillmann, G. L. Brengelmann, I. Leets, M. Layrisse, D. G. Johnson and C. Finch
Twenty-one Venezuelan peasants were segregated into three groups on the
basis of measurements of iron status: seven normal subjects, six
iron-deficient subjects with normal hemoglobin and eight iron-deficient
subjects with a hemoglobin concentration of less than 9 g/dl. All subjects
were placed in a water bath at an initial temperature of 36 degrees C. The
water temperature was then rapidly lowered to 28 degrees C, and
observations were made over the period of 1 h. Mean oral temperature of the
first group fell 0.2, the second group 0.5, and the third group 0.9 degrees
C. Mean plasma norepinephrine levels in both groups of iron-deficient
subjects were significantly higher at 36 degrees C and during cold exposure
compared with control subjects. Oxygen consumption was also significantly
increased in both groups of iron-deficient subjects after cold exposure.
