CIRCULATORY CHANGES DURING PROCESS OF AROUSAL IN THE HIBERNATING HAMSTER

Abstract

The golden hamster, when hibernating, is immobile and shows a profound lowering of body temp. and metabolism. When the animal is disturbed, the waking process is initiated and the following physiological changes can be demonstrated: increase in heart rate, approx. linear with body temp.; abolition of A-V dissociation, if present; increase in the velocity of conduction of the cardiac impulse, and increase in blood pressure. These observations, considered together with previous ones, indicate that the process of arousal is essentially a mass activation of the centers of the hypothalamus which govern heat production and conservation.