Plasma and urine catecholamines and cerebrospinal fluid amine metabolites as hypothermia markers in guinea-pigs.

Changes in catecholamines (CA) in the plasma and urine and metabolites of CA and serotonin (5-HT) in the cerebrospinal fluid of guinea-pigs in hypothermia (Trec 30 degrees C) and after subsequent rewarming were determined with HPLC in order to obtain data on early stress reactions and their timing. Both noradrenaline (NA) and adrenaline (A) were low in the plasma but high in the urine after the hypothermic period. These had normalized in the plasma after rewarming but were still high in the urine. Dopamine values tended to be low (not significant). Methoxyhydroxyphenylglycol and homovanilic acid were elevated in the cerebrospinal fluid both after hypothermia and following rewarming, and 5-hydroxyindoleacetic acid after rewarming. The ratio of adrenaline to noradrenaline, the catecholamine hypothermia index, in the urine had risen 24-fold after hypothermia and 40-fold after rewarming. The results support the view that elevated catecholamine concentrations in the urine and elevated values of their metabolites in the cerebrospinal fluid could be regarded as hypothermia markers. However, other stress conditions, which have lasted at least a few hours, should be excluded in the final interpretation.