Oufara S, Barré H, Rouanet J L, Chatonnet J
Am J Physiol. 1987 Jul;253(1 Pt 2):R39-45. doi: 10.1152/ajpregu.1987.253.1.R39.
To explain tolerance of heat and cold in gerbils (Gerbillus campestris) in their natural environment, a comparative study was made of thermoregulatory reactions in these animals and white mice (Mus musculus) of the same body mass exposed for 2-3 h to ambient temperatures (Ta) ranging from -23 to 40 degrees C. Metabolic rate (MR), evaporative heat loss (EHL), colonic temperature (Tb), and electromyographic activity (EMG) were measured. Nonshivering thermogenesis (NST) was also evaluated from the increase in MR after norepinephrine injection. In gerbils, tolerance of cold was higher than in mice; there was no fall in Tb in cold-acclimated (CA) and control (TN) gerbils after 3 h of exposure at -20 and -10 degrees C Ta, respectively; peak MR (PMR) reached five to six times resting MR (RMR) in gerbils and four to five times in mice. In gerbils, RMR was 35% below that of mice. In TN gerbils, EHL did not increase before 38 degrees C Ta; EHL increased at 26 degrees C in mice. In both animals, cold acclimation increased cold tolerance, PMR, RMR, and NST. Low RMR, high Tb, and mainly burrowing habits preserve gerbils from overheating and save water in hot and arid environments, and a conspicuous tolerance of cold allows them to live and forage in the wild during the cold night.
为了解群居型沙鼠（Gerbillus campestris）在自然环境中的耐热和耐寒能力，对这些动物和相同体重的小白鼠（Mus musculus）进行了一项比较研究，将它们暴露于-23至40摄氏度的环境温度（Ta）下2-3小时。测量了代谢率（MR）、蒸发散热（EHL）、结肠温度（Tb）和肌电图活动（EMG）。还通过注射去甲肾上腺素后MR的增加来评估非颤抖性产热（NST）。群居型沙鼠的耐寒能力高于小鼠；在-20和-10摄氏度Ta下分别暴露3小时后，冷适应（CA）和对照（TN）群居型沙鼠的Tb没有下降；群居型沙鼠的峰值MR（PMR）达到静息MR（RMR）的五到六倍，小鼠为四到五倍。群居型沙鼠的RMR比小鼠低35%。在TN群居型沙鼠中，Ta在38摄氏度之前EHL没有增加；小鼠在26摄氏度时EHL增加。在这两种动物中，冷适应均提高了耐寒能力、PMR、RMR和NST。低RMR、高Tb以及主要的穴居习性使群居型沙鼠免受过热影响，并在炎热干旱的环境中节约用水，而显著的耐寒能力使它们能够在寒冷的夜晚在野外生存和觅食。
