Hypothermia – mechanism of action and pathophysiological changes in the human body
Journal Title: Advances in Hygiene and Experimental Medicine - Year 2015, Vol 69, Issue 0
Abstract
This review focuses on the physiological responses and pathophysiological changes induced by hypothermia. Normal body function depends on its ability to maintain thermal homeostasis. The human body can be divided arbitrarily into two thermal compartments: a core compartment (trunk and head), with precisely regulated temperature around 37°C, and a peripheral compartment (skin and extremities) with less strictly controlled temperature, and lower than the core temperature. Thermoregulatory processes occur in three phases: afferent thermal sensing, central regulation, mainly by the preoptic area of the anterior hypothalamus, and efferent response. Exposure to cold induces thermoregulatory responses including cutaneous vasoconstriction, shivering and non-shivering thermogenesis, and behavioral changes. Alterations of body temperature associated with impaired thermoregulation, decreased heat production or increased heat loss can lead to hypothermia. Hypothermia is defined as a core body temperature below 35ºC, and may be classified according to the origin as accidental (e.g. caused by exposure to a cold environment, drugs, or illness) or intentional (i.e. therapeutic), or by the degree of hypothermia as mild, moderate or severe. Classification by temperature is not universal. Lowering of body temperature disrupts the physiological processes at the molecular, cellular and system level, but hypothermia induced prior to cardiosurgical or neurosurgical procedures, by the decrease in tissue oxygen demand, can reduce the risk of cerebral or cardiac ischemic damage. Therapeutic hypothermia has been recommended as a clinical procedure in situations characterized by ischemia, such as cardiac arrest, stroke and brain injuries.
Authors and Affiliations
Przemysław Sosnowski, Kinga Mikrut, Hanna Krauss
Is TCF7L2 variant associated with non-diabetic chronic kidney disease progression? Results of a family-based study
Introduction: It is assumed that genetic factors may play a significant role in CKD development. The aim of the study was to investigate the role of rs7903146 polymorphism in the TCF7L2 gene in development and progressio...
Mechanism and risk factors of oral biofilm formation
Recent microbiological investigations completely changed our understanding of the role of biofilm in the formation of the mucosal immune barrier and in pathogenesis of chronic inflammation of bacterial etiology. It is no...
Receptory 5-HT7 a patofizjologia chorób afektywnych i działanie leków przeciwdepresyjnych
Przypuszcza się, że receptory 5-HT7 są zaangażowane w przebieg procesów patologicznych leżących u podłoża m.in.: zaburzeń poznawczych, zaburzeń rytmów okołodobowych, lęku i depresji. Receptory 5-HT7 odgrywają istotną rol...
Wpływ TSA i VPA na różnicowanie w warunkach in vitro szpikowych mezenchymalnych komórek macierzystych do komórek linii neuronalnej – analiza ekspresji genów
Rola onkogenu 24p3 lipokaliny neutrofilowej związanej z żelatynazą (NGAL) w nowotworach przewodu pokarmowego
Lipokalina neutrofilowa związana z żelatynazą nazywana 24p3 lipokaliną, lipokaliną 2 lub uterokaliną (u myszy) to małe białko wydzielnicze wiążące ligandy o małej masie cząsteczkowej odgrywające rolę w wielu procesach, n...