Glucoprivation counteracts effects of testosterone on daily torpor
in siberian hamsters.
Dark, John, Dawn R. Miller, Paul Licht, and Irving Zucker.
Departments of Psychology and Integrative Biology, University of
Calfornia, Berkeley, CA 94720, USA
APStracts 2:0238R, 1995.
Dark, John, Dawn R. Miller, Paul Licht, and Irving Zucker.
Glucoprivation counteracts effects of testosterone on daily torpor in
Siberian hamsters. Am. J. Physiol. ### (Regulatory Integrative Comp.
Physiol. ##): R ###-R ###, 1995. We tested whether i) glucose
availability is a signal for initiation of torpor in male hamsters
and ii) glucoprivation can override the inhibitory effects of
androgens on daily torpor. Male hamsters maintained at ambient
temperatures of 8-16 degrees C were injected with 2-deoxy-D-glucose
(2DG), a glucose analogue that interferes with cellular glucose
oxidation. 2DG (2000-2500 mg/kg body mass) induced torpor within 1
hour of treatment in normal adult males in reproductive condition and
in those bearing testosterone(T)-filled capsules that produced
supraphysiological blood T concentrations; body temperatures were
reduced from 37 degrees C to 25 degrees C for several hours. Latency
to torpor was increased and duration of torpor was decreased in the
T-treated hamsters. Food intake decreased substantially both on the
day of torpor and on the succeeding day. Glucoprivation appears to
counteract the potent inhibitory effect of androgens on torpor and
induces a hypometabolic state that results in overall energy savings.
Received 13 March 1995; accepted in final form 14 August 1995.
APS Manuscript Number R161-5.
Article publication pending Am. J. Physiol. (Regulatory Integrative
Comp. Physiology).
ISSN 1080-4757 Copyright 1995 The American Physiological Society.
Published in APStracts on 15 September 1995.