Biomaterial Database

Effects of temperature on acid-base balance and ventilation in desert iguanas. 1981

P E Bickler

The effects of constant and changing temperatures on blood acid-base status and pulmonary ventilation were studied in the eurythermal lizard Dipsosaurus dorsalis. Constant temperatures between 18 and 42 degrees C maintained for 24 h or more produced arterial pH changes of -0.0145 U X degrees C-1. Arterial CO2 tension (PCO2) increased from 9.9 to 32 Torr plasma [HCO-3] and total CO2 contents remained constant at near 19 and 22 mM, respectively. Under constant temperature conditions, ventilation-gas exchange ratios (VE/MCO2 and VE/MO2) were inversely related to temperature and can adequately explain the changes in arterial PCO2 and pH. During warming and cooling between 25 and 42 degrees C arterial pH, PCO2 [HCO-3], and respiratory exchange ratios (MCO2/MO2) were similar to steady-state values. Warming and cooling each took about 2 h. During the temperature changes, rapid changes in lung ventilation following steady-state patterns were seen. Blood relative alkalinity changed slightly with steady-state or changing body temperatures, whereas calculated charge on protein histidine imidazole was closely conserved. Cooling to 17-18 degrees C resulted in a transient respiratory acidosis correlated with a decline in the ratio VE/MCO2. After 12-24 h at 17-18 degrees C, pH, PCO2, and VE returned to steady-state values. The importance of thermal history of patterns of acid-base regulation in reptiles is discussed.

UI	MeSH Term	Description	Entries
D007076	Iguanas	Large herbivorous tropical American lizards.	Iguana
D008116	Lizards	Reptiles within the order Squamata that generally possess limbs, moveable EYELIDS, and EXTERNAL EAR openings, although there are some species which lack one or more of these structures.	Chameleons,Geckos,Chameleon,Gecko,Lizard
D012119	Respiration	The act of breathing with the LUNGS, consisting of INHALATION, or the taking into the lungs of the ambient air, and of EXHALATION, or the expelling of the modified air which contains more CARBON DIOXIDE than the air taken in (Blakiston's Gould Medical Dictionary, 4th ed.). This does not include tissue respiration (	Breathing
D001769	Blood	The body fluid that circulates in the vascular system (BLOOD VESSELS). Whole blood includes PLASMA and BLOOD CELLS.
D001831	Body Temperature	The measure of the level of heat of a human or animal.	Organ Temperature,Body Temperatures,Organ Temperatures,Temperature, Body,Temperature, Organ,Temperatures, Body,Temperatures, Organ
D002245	Carbon Dioxide	A colorless, odorless gas that can be formed by the body and is necessary for the respiration cycle of plants and animals.	Carbonic Anhydride,Anhydride, Carbonic,Dioxide, Carbon
D006863	Hydrogen-Ion Concentration	The normality of a solution with respect to HYDROGEN ions; H+. It is related to acidity measurements in most cases by pH	pH,Concentration, Hydrogen-Ion,Concentrations, Hydrogen-Ion,Hydrogen Ion Concentration,Hydrogen-Ion Concentrations
D000136	Acid-Base Equilibrium	The balance between acids and bases in the BODY FLUIDS. The pH (HYDROGEN-ION CONCENTRATION) of the arterial BLOOD provides an index for the total body acid-base balance.	Anion Gap,Acid-Base Balance,Acid Base Balance,Acid Base Equilibrium,Anion Gaps,Balance, Acid-Base,Equilibrium, Acid-Base,Gap, Anion,Gaps, Anion
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
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