DEVELOPMENTAL PHYSIOLOGY OF ELEPHANT SEAL PUPS DURING NATURAL, PROLONGED FASTS

北极熊在陆地上的年度繁殖和蜕皮行为 象海豹及其特殊的潜水行为被广泛 被认为是研究 这些不寻常能力背后的生理和生化事件 在自然条件下自由生活的哺乳动物体内。其中更不寻常的是 这种一年一度的‘两栖’现象的特点是 哺乳幼崽例外所有个体完全禁食1-3个月 在陆地上的时候。此外，在海上，所有的象海豹都潜水 连续3至7个月，花费超过90%的时间 水下平均深度为400米，有时超过1000米。 这项研究是在过去20年里进行的，由MBR赞助，其他 HIH、NSF和其他机构的研究所，提供了丰富的 基本的生物学和医学相关数据。特别的 重要的是对一些机制的欣赏，这些机制允许 象海豹在这些自然的过程中保持生理动态平衡 禁食与在其他地区观察到的严重病理形成鲜明对比 包括人类在内的哺乳动物由于饥饿或早熟 儿童营养不良或饥饿，今天已经蔓延到全球 比例以及临床相关疾病，如糖尿病， 肾脏疾病、严重烧伤和HPNS高压神经综合征。

The annual land-based reproductive and molting behavior of the Northern elephant seal as well as its exceptional diving behavior are widely recognized as an exceptional opportunity for the study of the physiological and biochemical events underlying these unusual abilities in a free-living mammal under natural conditions. Among the more unusual features of this annual 'amphibious' phenomenon is that with the exception of nursing pups all individuals fast entirely for 1-3 months while on land. In addition, while at sea all elephant seals dive continuously for from 3 to 7 months spending more than 90% of the time underwater at depths averaging 400m and occasionally in excess of 1000m. The research conducted over the last 20 years, sponsored by MBRS, other institutes of the HIH, NSF and other agencies, has provided a wealth of basic biological as well as medically relevant data. Of particular importance is an appreciation of some of the mechanisms which allow elephant seals to maintain physiological homeostasis during these natural fasts in stark contrast to the severe pathologies observed in other mammals including humans as a consequence of starvation or early childhood malnutrition or starvation which today reached global, epidemic proportion as well as clinically related conditions such as diabetes, kidney disorders, severe burns, and HPNS High Pressure Nervous Syndrome.