Hypothermia, Asphyxia, and Cardiac Glycogen in Guinea Pigs

Cardiac glycogen was not affected by cooling guinea pigs for short periods. In normothermic animals it was reduced 75 percent or more at the time of death from asphyxia. Quickly cooled animals asphyxiated until the time of death of warm controls showed no significant losses of cardiac glycogen; animals cooled while breathing 10 percent oxygen plus 5 percent carbon dioxide showed slight reductions. Therefore, hypothermia spares cardiac glycogen during asphyxia, but there are factors other than cardiac glycogen which influence survival of asphyxiated animals.