Skeletal muscle activity of alcohol-treated rabbitts in immersion hypothermia: Adenine nucleotide concentrations and phosphorylation state

Summary The effects of alcohol injection (0.5 g·kg^–1i.v.) on the core cooling and rewarming rates, concentration of the adenine nucleotides, and the phosphorylation state of the adenylate system (ATP/ADP×P) were studied in the skeletal muscle of anesthetized rabbits immersed in ice-cold water. NaCl-injected rabbits immersed in ice-cold water were used as cold controls, alcohol-treated animals at room temperature (20°C) as alcohol warm controls, and NaCl-injected animals at room temperature as anesthesia controls, respectively.The fall of core temperature to 32°C in the alcohol-treated rabbits and the cold controls took about 40 min. During this time the temperature of the alcohol warm and anesthesia controls fell by about 1°C. No difference in the rewarming rate was observed between the alcohol-treated and cold control rabbits.Serum glucose concentration was elevated in the cold controls (from 5.9 to 8.3 mmol/l) but not in the alcohol-treated rabbits.Cold exposure reduced the phosphorylation state in the skeletal muscle of the alcohol-treated rabbits by 32% (P<0.05), but the decrease (6%) was not significant in the cold controls. After rewarming the phosphorylation state decreased in the above groups by 71% and 15%, respectively, as compared with the initial values. No significant changes in the phosphorylation state were found in the warm control animals.The redox state of the cytosol in the skeletal muscle or liver did not change, nor was there any change observed in the arterial pO₂ or pCO₂ concentrations.In conclusion, the results suggest an increased skeletal muscle activity during immersion hypothermia in alcohol-treated rabbits, but not in the controls.Dedicated to Professor W. Janssen on the occasion of his 60th birthday