title: The changes in thermal preference, sleep-wakefulness, body temperature and locomotor activity in the rats with medial septal lesion.
abstract: The effects of the destruction of the medial septal neurons (MS) with N-methyl-d-aspartic acid on sleep-wakefulness (S-W), body temperature (Tb), locomotor activity (LMA) and thermal preference were studied in male Wistar rats. When these rats were given a choice of three ambient temperatures (Tamb) of 24, 27 and 30 degrees C, they preferred 27 degrees C before the lesion. But they chose 30 degrees C during the initial days and 24 degrees C by the third week after the MS lesion. The MS lesion produced an increase in paradoxical sleep (PS) though this change was not very evident when the rats were not allowed to choose their Tamb. Though there was a decrease in slow wave sleep (SWS), it recovered considerably, when the lesioned rats chose their preferred Tamb. However, the frequency of SWS episodes did not show any recovery. There was a decrease in both Tb and LMA by the third week after the MS lesion. It can, therefore, be concluded that the MS lesion affected the initiation of SWS, as there was a decrease in the frequency of SWS episodes. Study of S-W in the rats that were given freedom to select Tamb helped to demonstrate the role of the MS in the inhibition of PS. It also showed that the thermostat of the rats was reset at a lower level by the third week after the MS lesion. Decrease in heat production resulting from a decrease in LMA, could have contributed towards the animals' efforts to maintain a lower Tb.
authors.affiliation: Department of Physiology, All India Institute of Medical Sciences, Ansari Nagar, New Delhi 110029, India.
authors.forename: Rajagopalan
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Srividya
authors.forename: Hruda Nanda
authors.initials: HN
authors.lastname: Mallick
authors.forename: Velayudhan Mohan
authors.initials: VM
authors.lastname: Kumar
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001833:Body Temperature Regulation / Q000502:physiology*; D002940:Circadian Rhythm / Q000502:physiology; D008297:Male; D009043:Motor Activity / Q000502:physiology*; D051381:Rats; D017208:Rats, Wistar; D012686:Septal Nuclei / Q000502:physiology*; D012890:Sleep / Q000502:physiology*; D013697:Thermosensing / Q000502:physiology; D014851:Wakefulness / Q000502:physiology*