Primary cold-sensitive neurons in acutely dissociated cells of rat hypothalamus.
Local warming or cooling of the preoptic and anterior hypothalamus (PO/AH) areas evokes various thermoregulatory responses in mammals. We have hypothesized that warm- and cold-sensitive neurons recorded in the PO/AH are multiple thermostats that regulate the core temperature against heat and cold, respectively. However, since the proportion of cold-sensitive neurons is low, it is still controversial whether primary cold-sensitive neurons exist in the PO/AH. To answer this question, we investigated cold-sensitive neurons with Ca(2+) imaging in acutely dissociated PO/AH cells. Their threshold temperatures were 27.3+/-0.44 degrees C (mean+/-SEM, n=55). In extracellular recordings cooling evoked discharges in these cold-sensitive neurons. We conclude that primary cold-sensitive neurons with low threshold temperatures exist in PO/AH.
Division of Biological Information, Department of Intelligence Science and Technology, Graduate School of Informatics, Kyoto University, 606-8501, Kyoto, Japan.
Junji
J
Abe
Makoto
M
Okazawa
Ryutaro
R
Adachi
Kiyoshi
K
Matsumura
Shigeo
S
Kobayashi
D000818:Animals; D001833:Body Temperature Regulation; D002118:Calcium / Q000378:metabolism*; D018929:Cell Culture Techniques; D003080:Cold Temperature; D004594:Electrophysiology; D007032:Hypothalamus, Anterior / Q000378:metabolism / Q000502:physiology*; D009474:Neurons / Q000378:metabolism / Q000502:physiology*; D011301:Preoptic Area / Q000378:metabolism / Q000502:physiology*; D051381:Rats; D017208:Rats, Wistar
D002118:Calcium