Adrenal hormones and oxidative metabolism of the garden lizard (Calotes versicolor)

Abstract

Daily administration of adrenaline over a 10-day period invariably induced significant increases in the metabolic rate of the whole body and of specific tissue (liver, muscle, kidney and brain) of both intact and thyroidectomized lizards except during June (breeding season) when the presence of thyroid hormones was a prerequisite for the stimulation of oxygen consumption by the whole body, muscle, kidney and brain but not by the liver. Corticosterone had no effect on whole body oxygen consumption but stimulated, inhibited or was without influence on the oxygen consumption of individual tissues, depending on the season the presence or absence of thyroid hormones. It is suggested that adrenaline, due to its temperature-independent calorigenic effect, acts as the emergency hormone for energy release and helps the animal to survive during hibernation (winter months) when almost all the endocrine glands are inactive.