Biomaterial Database

Urinary characteristics of the Cape porcupine Hystrix africaeaustralis: effects of photoperiod and temperature. 1992

A Haim, and R J Van Aarde, and J D Skinner

Mammal Research Institute, University of Pretoria, South Africa.

The Cape porcupine Hystrix africaeaustralis is a large (11-18 kg), nocturnal, burrowing and group-living rodent. It experiences a metabolic response to seasonal acclimatization and is a hind gut fermenter. Changes in the urinary electrolyte and free urinary catecholamine concentrations of Cape porcupines were related to combined changes of ambient temperature and photoperiod regime. Three groups, A) Ta = 25 degrees C, 12L:12D; B) Ta = 32 degrees C, 16L:8D; C) Ta = 10 degrees C, 8L:16D, were studied to assess the influence of seasonal acclimatization on urinary bicarbonate and catecholamine concentrations. Urine volume was significantly (p < 0.001) higher in group C than in the other two groups. In groups B and C urinary pH was above 7 and this was associated with high concentrations of HCO3-. The total amount of catecholamines was higher in groups B and C than in group A. It is apparent that seasonal acclimatization of the Cape porcupine is also reflected by these parameters.

UI	MeSH Term	Description	Entries
D008297	Male		Males
D002395	Catecholamines	A general class of ortho-dihydroxyphenylalkylamines derived from TYROSINE.	Catecholamine,Sympathin,Sympathins
D004573	Electrolytes	Substances that dissociate into two or more ions, to some extent, in water. Solutions of electrolytes thus conduct an electric current and can be decomposed by it (ELECTROLYSIS). (Grant & Hackh's Chemical Dictionary, 5th ed)	Electrolyte
D005260	Female		Females
D000064	Acclimatization	Adaptation to a new environment or to a change in the old.	Acclimation
D000818	Animals	Unicellular or multicellular, heterotrophic organisms, that have sensation and the power of voluntary movement. Under the older five kingdom paradigm, Animalia was one of the kingdoms. Under the modern three domain model, Animalia represents one of the many groups in the domain EUKARYOTA.	Animal,Metazoa,Animalia
D012377	Rodentia	A mammalian order which consists of 29 families and many genera.	Beavers,Capybaras,Castor Beaver,Dipodidae,Hydrochaeris,Jerboas,Rodents,Beaver,Capybara,Hydrochaeri,Jerboa,Rodent,Rodentias
D012621	Seasons	Divisions of the year according to some regularly recurrent phenomena usually astronomical or climatic. (From McGraw-Hill Dictionary of Scientific and Technical Terms, 6th ed)	Seasonal Variation,Season,Seasonal Variations,Variation, Seasonal,Variations, Seasonal
D013696	Temperature	The property of objects that determines the direction of heat flow when they are placed in direct thermal contact. The temperature is the energy of microscopic motions (vibrational and translational) of the particles of atoms.	Temperatures
D017440	Photoperiod	The time period of daily exposure that an organism receives from daylight or artificial light. It is believed that photoperiodic responses may affect the control of energy balance and thermoregulation.	Dark-Light Cycle,Daylight Cycle,Light Cycle,Light-Dark Cycle,Cycle, Dark-Light,Cycle, Daylight,Cycle, Light,Cycle, Light-Dark,Cycles, Dark-Light,Cycles, Daylight,Cycles, Light,Cycles, Light-Dark,Dark Light Cycle,Dark-Light Cycles,Daylight Cycles,Light Cycles,Light Dark Cycle,Light-Dark Cycles,Photoperiods