title: A dissociation between temperature regulation and fever in the rabbit.
abstract: 1. The role of 5-hydroxytryptamine (5-HT) in temperature regulation and in fever in the rabbit has been investigated. 2. Intrahypothalamic microinjections of 5-HT in the conscious rabbit alters body temperature in a dose-dependent manner. 3. Low doses (5-5nmol) of 5-Ht and control saline injections produced a small, non-significant increase in temperature, with a long latency. 4. Doses of 14 nmol 5-HT produce a hyperthermia with a 45 min delay; while microinjections of 28 nmol result in a biphasic response; an initial short hypothermia is followed later by a hyperthermia. 5. Depleting the rabbit's brain of 5-HT by pretreatment with p-chlorophenylalanine (PCPA) fails to affect its body temperature at thermoneutral temperatures but significantly impairs the ability to thermoregulate against a cold stress. 6. PCPA pretreatment did not, however, impair the febrile response to bacterial pyrogen and prostaglandin E1. 7. These results reveal a dissociation between the effects of 5-HT depletion on temperature regulation, and on fever. The site of action of 5-HT in temperature regulation must be proximal to the fever input, but distal to the convengence of peripheral and hypothalamic temperature inputs.
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001833:Body Temperature Regulation / Q000187:drug effects*; D005260:Female; D010134:Fenclonine / Q000494:pharmacology; D005334:Fever / Q000503:physiopathology*; D007031:Hypothalamus / Q000187:drug effects; D008297:Male; D011458:Prostaglandins E / Q000494:pharmacology; D011749:Pyrogens / Q000494:pharmacology; D011817:Rabbits; D012701:Serotonin / Q000494:pharmacology* / Q000502:physiology; D012881:Skin Temperature
chemical_list: D011458:Prostaglandins E; D011749:Pyrogens; D012701:Serotonin; D010134:Fenclonine