Leucocyte Changes in Rodents Exposed to Cold With and Without Restraint

¹ From the Department of Physiology, College of Medicine, Howard University, Washington, D. C.

The white blood cell picture was determined in adult mice and rats with and without restraint. In the mouse both cold and restraint resulted in lymphopenia. When the stresses were applied simultaneously the effect was additive. Restraint in the mouse also caused a reduction in the polymorphonuclear elements. In the rat, restraint produced lymphopenia but contrary to the mouse the stress response of the polymorphonuclear leucocytes was a slight increase rather than a decrease. The total heart white blood cell count was much lower in the mouse than in the rat. Cold was the more severe stress for the mouse, whereas only restraint appeared to be effective in the rat. The possible mechanisms responsible for these treatment and species differences are discussed.

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