Made in the Undted, States of Arneilca

Repriuted from JounNlr oF MaMMALocy Vol. 38, No. 3, Augmt, 1957

pp.423424

August,1957

GENI'RAL NOTES

423

SERUM MAGNESIUM CHANGES

IN

COLD.EXPOSED MAMMALS

Hibernation and hypothermia have been subjects of increasing interest in recent years, yet there is a dearth of observations on the biochemistry of these states. High levels of magnesium in serum have been related by several investigators to hibernation and cold exposurel,2,a. fn the present studies an active dse in the serum level of magnesium was found with hibernation or winter rest in three orders of mammals, Serum magnesium and hematological data were obtained on two species of bats, thirteen-lined ground squirrels and golden hamsters, and the black bear. Hibernating and non-hibemating conditions were included. Magnesium levels as determined by the method of Orange and Rheina were observed to be consistently higher during hibernation than in active animals. The percentage increase in the serum magnesium varied with the species studied: little brown bat, Mgotis lucifugus, 62 per cent; big brown bat, Eptesicus fuscvs,53 per cent; thirteenlined ground squirrel, Citellus tridecemlineatus,65 per cent; golden hamster, Mesocricetus auratus,25 per cent; and black bear, Ursus ameNcanus, in winter rest, 29 per cent. The mean values in milligrams per one hundred milliliters of serum, for active and hibernating animals respectively, are given in Table 1. In contrast to these changes indicated above, cold exposure without hibernation or winter rest did not elevate the serum magnesium. The serum specific gravity and blood hematocrit occasionally increased with hibernation, but not consistently, thereby indicating the rise in the serum magnesium to be an active process.
Suomalaiqen, P., Ann. Acad. Sci, Fennicae, A, 53, I (1939), 2Platner, W. w., md M. J. Hosko, Aner. Jour. Phvsioi., 174,273 (f953), M_cBirnie,X, E,, F, G. Pearson, G. A. Truier, H. H. Karachi and W. G. Bigelow, Canad. Jour, Med. Sci., ^_e 3r,42r (1935). aOrange, M., and H. C. Rhein, Jou. Biol. Chem., 189, 379 (f951).
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JOURNAL OF MAMMALOGY

Vol.3& No. 3

Some of the details of the change in serum magnesium were determined using little brown bats. The elevation of serum magnesium occurred after only one to two hours of hibernation and was found by the time the esophageal temperature had dropped to 13" C, There was no significant serum magnesium increase when esophageal temperature had dropped to only 17" C, Awakening from hibernation does not require a lowering of the serum magnesium since there was no reduction of serum magnesium when body temperature was raised to 18' C.

One hour after arousal from hibernation the serum magnesium had dropped to the level cal of active animals.

tlpi-

T.xw.n L-Serunx nagnesi,urn letsels in hibernatinn and uinter rest (All values are milligrams per one hundred milliliters of serum. )
I

I
Magnesium

brown bat

Uttfe

I Big brown llined groudl Golden I Black

lbat (a

dars)l squinel
Actioe

hamster

ueu

I Hedgehog lWoodcbuck

tnet.

r)

{ner. e)

Mean ---------Std. dev.

4.38

------ 0.16 No. deter. ---- 36

(2 days)
Magnesium

4.78 0.61 108

3.65
0.41

4.03 0.10 22

3.81

3.2

0.2r

2.8 0.46

(2days) (2days) (2days) (1mo.)

Inactive

Hiberrwtine

Mean ---------- 7.Ll

Std. dev. ------ 0.13 No. deter. ---- 15

7.32 0.60 64

6.05
0.31

5.01 2l
0.07

4.85

6.0

4.4
0.31

This research was made possible by a grant from the National Science Foundation. Some of the animals were obtained with the kind assistance of Dr. Glen C. Sanderson of the Iowa State Department of Conservation. The serum of the black bears was obtained with obvious difficulty by Dr, Raymond J. Hock and sent packed in ice from the Arctic Health Research Center, Anchorage, Alaska. The details of tlis investigation will be published in separate accounts elsewhere, but the combined data presented here indicate that elevated serum magnesium may be as characteristic of hibernation as lowered body temperature and metabolism. L. Rrnorspr- eNn G. E, For,r, JR., Dept. of Occupatdonal Health, Unio. of Pittsburgh, -M. Pi,ttsbu.rgh, Pa. and Dept of Phgsiologg, State Unio. of lowa, Iowa Citg. Receioed August 73,

I956.