Median preoptic area neurons are required for the cooling and febrile activations of brown adipose tissue thermogenesis in rat.

ABSTRACT: Within the central neural circuitry for thermoregulation, the balance between excitatory and inhibitory inputs to the dorsomedial hypothalamus (DMH) determines the level of activation of brown adipose tissue (BAT) thermogenesis. We employed neuroanatomical and in vivo electrophysiological techniques to identify a source of excitation to thermogenesis-promoting neurons in the DMH that is required for cold defense and fever. Inhibition of median preoptic area (MnPO) neurons blocked the BAT thermogenic responses during both PGE₂-induced fever and cold exposure. Disinhibition or direct activation of MnPO neurons induced a BAT thermogenic response in warm rats. Blockade of ionotropic glutamate receptors in the DMH, or brain transection rostral to DMH, blocked cold-evoked or NMDA in M

SUBMITTER: da Conceicao EPS 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC7581749 | biostudies-literature | 2020 Oct

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature