THE EFFECT OF ENVIRONMENTAL TEMPERATURE ON HEALING OF BONE LESIONS IN THE RAT. I. EFFECT OF ENVIRONMENTAL TEMPERATURE ON MINERAL METABOLISM

¹ Department of Pathological Biochemistry, University of Glasgow and Glasgow Royal Infirmary

The reduced food intake of rats living at 30° C. environmental temperature and relative humidity 22 per cent, compared to that of controls at 20° C. is reflected in a corresponding reduction in calcium turnover. This is shown by a greater whole-body retention of an injected tracer dose of ⁸⁵Sr by the rats living at the higher temperature and concomitant slower clearance from blood. When animals at the two environmental temperatures were fed equal amounts of food then the whole-body retentions of tracer were the same in each group. Mechanisms discriminating against strontium are apparently not thereby involved.

Note:

The senior author (D. P. C.) is in receipt of a Research Grant from the Medical Research Council to whom grateful acknowledgment is made. We are indebted to the Rankin Fund of the University of Glasgow for funds for the purchase of apparatus. We are also grateful for the facilities provided in this Department of the University of Glasgow in the Royal Infirmary and by the Board of Management of the Hospital, which were kindly made available by Professor H. G. Morgan.

Useful discussions were held with J. Shimmins and D. Smith of the Western Infirmary, Glasgow. Skilled technical assistance was received from Mrs. M. McArthur.

Isotope counting facilities were kindly provided by Professor E. M. McGirr in the Department of Medicine, to whom grateful acknowledgment is here made.