Regional distribution of 137Cs in rats forced to swim in warm and cold water

Abstract

• 1.

  1. The fractional distribution of ¹³⁷Cs was determined in rats forced to swim in warm (37°C) and cold (22°C) water.

• 2.

  2. This was done in order to determine the possible effect of changes in muscle blood flow on the gastrocnemius muscle to arterial blood lactate diffetence previously observed in the cold water swimming rat.

• 3.

  3. The results indicated that the muscle blood flow was similarly elevated in both 22 and 37°C rats at the time when there was a large difference between muscle and blood lactate only if the 22°C swims.

• 4.

  4. Therefore, the greater differene in lactate concentration between gastronemius muscle and arterial blood observed in cold water swimming rats, cannot be accounted for by low muscle blood flow.