Thermosensitivity of preoptic neurones in a hibernator at high and low ambient temperatures

The neural control of body temperature has been studied using the various techniques available to neurobiologists, each of which contributes a particular body of data. Lesioning techniques delineate the central nervous system (CNS) areas whose integrity is important for proper thermoregulation; stimulation studies (physiological, electrical, or chemical) reveal the outputs generated by various CNS areas or sensitive neuronal populations functioning in thermoregulation. Electrophysiological techniques supply detailed information on the activities of neurones in the CNS which are presumed to act in thermoregulation, and to be acted upon by the physical (temperature) and chemical (hormones, transmitters, pyrogens) agents that drive or modify the function of the system.In its capacity as a thermoregulator, the CNS serves two distinct, but overlapping, functions: an integrative one, generating appropriate regulatory effector output (vasomotor, sudomotor, somatomotor, respiratory, etc.) on the basis of a variety of inputs (skin and central temperatures, state of arousal, exercise); and a receptor function, monitoring brain temperature at several sites, thus providing some of the inputs to which the integrator responds. These two functions are in some instances sub served by the same anatomical regions (e.g. anterior hypothalamus and preoptic area). One of the goals of electrophysiological recording studies is to determine if these two functions can be mediated by the same neurone. The characterization of central neurones serving thermoregulatory functions into detectors and integrators (interneurones) has been a major thrust of such studies.The integrative functions of the CNS in thermoregulation have been studied by lesioning techniques and electrical and chemical stimulations (HENSEL 1973). The presence of thermodetectors in the brain has been demonstrated by applying moreor-less localized thermal stimulation to CNS structures. That rostral brain-stem areas contained thermodetectors capable of generating appropriate regulatory outputs, when stimulated by local temperature changes, was demonstrated by the early work of KAHN (1904), BARBOUR (1912) and HAMMOUDA (1933. The sensitive area was localized to the preoptic anterior hypothalamic area (POjAH) in anaesthetized cats by MAGOUN et al. (1938) and by HAMMEL et al. (1960) and Fusco et al. (1961) in unanaesthetized dogs.It has since been demonstrated that other CNS areas will respond to their own temperature; thermal stimulation of the medulla (LIPTON 1973) and of the spinal cord (SIMON 1974) will produce appropriate regulatory activity. Some reports indicate that the mid-brain is also sensitive to its own temperature (CABANAC and A. S. Milton (ed.), Pyretics and Antipyretics

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Thermoreception and Temperature Regulation in Hibernators

Wünnenberg

Kuhnen

1990

Thermoreception and Temperature Regulation

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Thermosensitivity of preoptic neurones in a hibernator at high and low ambient temperatures

Cited by 9 publications

References 9 publications

Thermoreception and Temperature Regulation in Homeothermic Vertebrates

Thermoreception and Temperature Regulation in Homeothermic Vertebrates

Electrophysiology of the Anterior Hypothalamus: Thermoregulation and Fever

Thermoreception and Temperature Regulation in Hibernators

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