Elevation of the panting threshold of the desert iguana, Dipsosaurus dorsalis, during dehydration: potential roles of changes in plasma osmolality and body fluid volume.

Dehydration of the desert iguana, Dipsosaurus dorsalis, resulted in a progressive elevation in the magnitude of the skin temperature necessary to elicit thermal panting (i.e., the panting threshold). Panting threshold increased from 43.4 +/- 0.8 degrees C at 100% initial body weight (IBW) to 45.4 +/- 1.2 degrees C at 90% IBW to 45.7 +/- 0.9 degrees C at 80% IBW. Plasma osmolality showed no significant change with dehydration to 80% IBW. Changes in plasma osmolality, whether induced by NaCl or non-ionic sucrose loading, had a significant impact on panting threshold. Increasing plasma osmolality resulted in an elevation of panting threshold while decreasing plasma osmolality resulted in lower panting thresholds. Decreasing body fluid volume by exsanguination of 1 ml whole blood/100 g body weight resulted in a mean increase in panting threshold by 0.7 +/- 0.2 degrees C. Volume loading with 160 mM NaCl (approximately isosmotic) had no significant effect on panting threshold. These data suggest that plasma osmolality and decreases in body fluid volume may be potent modulators of panting threshold during periods of water deprivation. However, at least in desert iguanas, increases in plasma osmolality would not appear to be an important factor in the elevation of panting threshold during dehydration to 80% IBW.