NUNGESTER 



ology of the lymphatics and the peripheral circulation. Possibly the 

 increased resistance of the hypothermic animal to bacterial endo- 

 toxin reported by Dr. Miya and the clinical findings of Dr. Blair are 

 directly related to the findings of Dr. Tunevall. We might call atten- 

 tion to the findings of Klepinger etal. (1959) that of 58 drugs tested, 

 all but strychnine, chlorpromazine, and promazine were more ac- 

 tive in animals kept at 36° C than at 3° C or at 26° C. 



Biochemical changes. Does exposure to cold produce any measur- 

 able effects on the biochemistry of the host? Dr. Trapani has men- 

 tioned the increased thyroid activity of the hypothermic animal. This 

 is significant. Dr. Campbell has called our attention to the absence 

 of the beta anomaly in the descending electrophoretic pattern in the 

 serum of a man living in an arctic or subarctic climate. He also 

 mentioned the significance of the brown fat found in the hibernating 

 squirrel. Dr. Sulkin was particularly interested in this brown fat in 

 the hibernating bat. The question arises as to what role this peculiar 

 tissue with its high lipid content plays in hibernation or resistance 

 to the effects of cold. 



Another interesting biochemical find has come to light in the work 

 of Monier and Weiss (1952). A sharp increase in the excretion of 

 ascorbic acid (53 per cent) and dehydroascorbic acid (186 per cent) 

 was noted inhypothermic animals over normal animals. Since ascor- 

 bic acid is found in large quantities if phagocytic cells and must be 

 present to a certain level in the phagocytes are to operate properly, 

 such losses of this essential vitamin must be compensated for, or 

 host resistance may be lowered through loss of ascorbic acid. 



Other biochemical changes in h)T)othermic animals have been 

 noted which mayor may not be related to changes in host resistance. 

 For example, Ershoff (1951; 1952) noted a decreased resistance of 

 pyridoxine on riboflavin deficient rats which had been chilled. Ulti- 

 mately, we will better understand host-parasite relations when ade- 

 quate knowledge is available to explain such phenomena on a bio- 

 chemical basis. Dr. Metcalf 's report on the effects of temperature 

 on the neuraminidase of the influenza virus in embryonated e^s and 

 in the mouse lung represents such a biochemical approach to the 

 problem. 



452 



