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Updated: Jun 24, 2026

Measuring Skeletal Muscle Thermogenesis in Mice and Rats
Published on: July 27, 2022
Heat loss during exercise is related to serotonin activity in the preoptic area
Alex G Rodrigues1, Danusa D Soares, Umeko Marubayashi
1Department of Physiology and Biophysics, Institute of Biological Science, Federal University of Minas Gerais, Belo Horizonte, Minas Gerais, Brazil.
Abstract:
To investigate the influence of the central cholinergic system on thermoregulation and brain serotonin concentration during exercise; 2 microl of physostigmine (5x10 M) or saline solution was injected into the lateral cerebral ventricle of running rats. At fatigue, brains were quickly removed and serotonin and 5-hydroxyindoleacetic acid were measured in the preoptic area, hypothalamus, frontal cortex, and hippocampus. Physostigmine injection attenuated hyperthermia and exercise-induced heat storage that was closely related to the serotonin content in the preoptic area. Physostigmine treatment also increased the heat dissipation by decreasing core temperature threshold for vasodilation. In conclusion, our data indicated that stimulation of the central cholinergic system promotes heat dissipation in running rats that is related to decreased serotonin content in the preoptic area.
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