SUMMARYThis study examines the effect of hand-rearing developing lambs in a warm (WR; 25°C) or cool (CR; 10-15°C) ambient temperature on the control of thermoregulation and breathing patterns, when maintained at a fixed level of nutrition over the first month of postnatal life. Measurements were made during non-rapid eye movement sleep whilst lambs were maintained for at least 1 h at warm (28-19°C) and cold (14-5°C) ambient temperatures at 1, 7, 14 and 30 days of age. All lambs were able to maintain normal body temperature, but oxygen consumption was higher in CR lambs at 14 and 30 days of age. At 1 day of age shivering was rarely observed in any lambs, but at 7 and 14 days of age more WR than CR lambs responded to cold exposure via shivering. Plasma concentrations of triiodothyronine were higher at 7 and 14 days of age in CR lambs. Breathing frequencies were similar in WR and CR lambs, and from 7 days of age the incidence of expiratory laryngeal braking was higher in warm compared with cold study temperatures. By 30 days of age the recruitment of this mechanism was greater in CR lambs. Mean growth rate was slower over the first week of postnatal life in CR compared with WR lambs. This difference decreased over the first month of life, as growth rate increased from 83 to 130 g day-' in the CR group but remained constant at approximately 150 g day-' in the WR lambs. Total weight of the lungs and heart, but not the liver, were lower at 1 month but not at 1 week of postnatal life in CR lambs. It is concluded that a modest decrease in the ambient temperature in which postnatal lambs are reared, when on a fixed feed intake, alters lung size, the recruitment of laryngeal braking and the control of body temperature.
SUMMARYThis study examined the effect of ambient temperature on perirenal adipose tissue development and thermoregulation over the first month of postnatal life in lambs treated with a drug that reduces thyroid hormone synthesis (methimazole; at a dose of 50 mg day-' (kg body weight)-').Twin lambs were hand-reared at a fixed level of nutrition in either a warm (WR; 25 'C) or cool (CR; 10-15 'C) ambient temperature. Oxygen consumption, heart rate and colonic temperature were measured during non-rapid eye movement sleep in different ambient temperatures (6, 15, 25 and 34-36°C) at 7, 14 and 28 days of age. Plasma thyroid hormone concentrations decreased with postnatal age and were higher in CR than in WR lambs. All lambs increased plasma thyroid hormone concentrations and 02 consumption during cold exposure but this was not associated with a mean increase in colonic temperature in WR lambs at 7 or 28 days. Colonic temperature increased with the onset of panting at all ages when lambs were exposed to 34-36 'C, a response that was greatest at 28 days in CR lambs. An increase in colonic temperature with age was observed in CR but not WR lambs. Heart rate declined with age only in the WR group. At 8 and 29 days there were no significant differences between WR and CR groups in the occurrence of shivering or in the thermogenic activity (i.e. GDP binding to mitochondria) of perirenal adipose tissue. At 29 days WR lambs possessed more adipose tissue with a higher lipid and DNA content. It is concluded that modest changes in rearing temperature can have a large influence on the control of body temperature and thyroid hormone response to methimazole treatment. CR lambs are able to maintain higher plasma thyroid hormone concentrations and exhibit improved thermoregulation compared with WR lambs without any detectable differences in brown adipose tissue function.
SUMMARYThis study examines the effect of ambient temperature on lung development over the first month of postnatal life in lambs treated with a drug which inhibits thyroid hormone synthesis (methimazole, 50 mg day-' (kg body wt-1)). Twin lambs were hand-reared at a fixed level of nutrition in either a warm (WR, 25 C) or cool (CR, 10-15 C) ambient temperature. Plasma thyroid hormone concentrations were significantly (P < 0.05) lower in WR lambs, but there were no differences between WR and CR groups in thyroid gland weight or hepatic iodothyronine 5'-deiodinase activity at 8 or 29 days of age. Lung weights and the ratio of lung weight to 02 consumption were similar in WR and CR groups at 8 days but both were significantly lower (P < 0-01) in CR lambs at 29 days. Lung weight at 29 days was significantly (P = 0.002) correlated with plasma triiodothyronine concentration in CR but not WR lambs, and laryngeal braking of expiratory airflow was observed in three of seven CR lambs but not in WR lambs. Four WR, but no CR, lambs exhibited a rapid deterioration in health or died unexpectedly between 14 and 21 days of age. These WR lambs were characterized by having small lungs and slower growth rates. It is concluded that in WR lambs chronically treated with methimazole, both lung development and the ability of an individual to adapt effectively to methimazole treatment are compromised. In CR lambs, although lung growth may be reduced this does not appear to compromise 02 consumption or health.
The effect of maternal glucose infusion over the final 5-7 days of gestation in under-fed ewes on perirenal brown adipose tissue (BAT) and liver development in lambs over the first month of neonatal life was examined. During glucose infusion, higher maternal plasma concentrations of glucose and thyroid hormones, and lower plasma concentrations of non-esterified fatty acids and 3-hydroxybutyrate were observed, compared with saline-infused controls. These differences were not observed 1-1.5 h before parturition when plasma concentrations of glucose, lactate, cortisol and thyroid hormones all increased in control ewes. Lamb birthweight and liver and BAT weights were similar between groups, but lambs born to glucose-infused ewes had a higher hepatic glycogen content and greater iodothyronine 5'deiodinase activities in liver and BAT. The norepinephrine, epinephrine and dopamine contents were also greater in BAT sampled from lambs born to glucose infused ewes. Three lambs born to glucose-infused ewes failed to survive beyond the second week of life and exhibited abnormally low plasma triiodothyronine concentrations. It is concluded that maternal glucose infusion stimulates development of the fetal sympathetic nervous system during late gestation but this adaptation does not appear to improve postnatal survival.
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