Ultrastructure of organs and tissues of dormice during hibernation

In the last several years ultrastructural investigations bf a number of org ans and tissues were performed by means of transmission electron microscopy and ultrastructural cytochemistry and immunocytochemistry in two species o f hibernating dormice, Muscardinus avellanarius and Glis glis. Results show ed the presence of several unusual nuclear bodies containing rihonucleoprot ein and splicing factors in cell nuclei of hibernating dormice as well as a number of fine structural changes associated with the lethargic state. Ove rall, morphological data suggest that hibernation is not merely a condition of reduced activity and metabolism, but involves active rearrangement of s everal cell and tissue constituents.