Effects of temperature stress on catecholamines and corticosterone of male turkeys
el-Halawani, M.E.; Waibel, P.E.; Appel, J.R.; Good, A.L.
American Journal of Physiology 224(2): 384-388
1973
ISSN/ISBN: 0002-9513 PMID: 4686493 Document Number: 66553
When male turkeys were exposed to either high or low ambient temperature, there was an increase in plasma corticosterone concentration. This increase returned to the control level by the 2nd week for heat-exposed turkeys, and by the 3rd week for cold-exposed ones. Cold or heat stress had little effect on adrenal, brain, and heart catecholamines concentrations. However, when alpha-methyltyrosine (an inhibitor of catecholamine biosynthesis) was given prior to stress exposure, tissue catecholamine concentrations fell markedly. Furthermore, when birds previously reared in either a cold or hot environment were given alpha-methyltyrosine and exposed to temperature stress, there was less reduction in tissue norepinephrine and epinephrine concentrations than when the birds were reared at 24 deg C ambient temperature and received the same treatment. These findings indicate that an increased rate of catecholamine and corticosterone release seems to be required during the initial response to temperature stress, and may be associated with the adaptive changes leading to temperature acclimation.