Porcine malignant hyperthermia. II: Heat production.

The contributions of aerobic and anaerobic muscle metabolism to the heat produced in porcine malignant hyperthermia were studied in seven Pietrain pigs. Oxygen consumption measurements were used to calculate the increase in muscle temperature as a result of aerobic metabolism and this was compared with the observed muscle temperature. The results show that in the initial stage of porcine malignant hyperthermia heat production is largely aerobic in origin. Terminally, aerobic metabolism can account for about half the observed temperature increase.