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Related Concept Videos

Increased Body Temperature01:25

Increased Body Temperature

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A body temperature above  38°C  (100.4 °F) is known as fever or pyrexia, and a person with fever is termed 'febrile.' Typically, the hypothalamus, a part of the brain that acts as the body's thermostat, regulates body temperature through a thermoregulatory setpoint. It receives signals from cold and warm thermal receptors throughout the body and adjusts the body's temperature accordingly. Fever occurs when this hypothalamic setpoint is altered, usually in...
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Thermoregulation01:26

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The human body has a sophisticated thermoregulation system that employs negative feedback mechanisms to maintain an optimal core temperature. When the core temperature drops, peripheral and central thermoreceptors send signals to the hypothalamus, activating the heat-promoting center. This center triggers several responses aimed at increasing the core temperature. First, vasoconstriction reduces the flow of warm blood from internal organs to the skin so that the heat is not lost from the skin,...
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Body Temperature01:25

Body Temperature

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The body's temperature, measured in degrees, is determined by the balance between heat production and dissipation to the surrounding environment. For instance, if exercising vigorously, the body will produce more heat, causing sweat and dissipating that heat. Despite extreme environmental conditions and physical exertion, the human temperature-control system maintains a constant core body temperature (the temperature of deep tissues, which are the tissues located beneath the skin and other...
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Body Temperature01:07

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Body temperature reflects the equilibrium between heat production and heat loss within the body. Most heat is generated by metabolically active tissues, particularly the liver, heart, brain, kidneys, and endocrine organs. At rest, skeletal muscles contribute 20–30% of total heat production, but during vigorous exercise, this can increase up to 30–40 times.
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Decreased Body Temperature01:29

Decreased Body Temperature

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A decreased body temperature can occur in patients with hypothermia and frostbite. Heat loss with extended cold exposure overpowers the body's ability to create heat, resulting in hypothermia. Core temperature readings help classify hypothermia. Mild hypothermia is temperatures between 32 °C (89.6 °F) and 35°C (95 °F) and is caused by impaired thermoregulation. Moderate hypothermia is temperatures between 28 C (82.4 °F) and 32 °C (89.6 °F) caused by...
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Homeostatic Imbalances in Body Temperature01:19

Homeostatic Imbalances in Body Temperature

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Hyperthermia occurs when the body's temperature becomes unusually high, often due to heat exposure, intense physical activity, or certain illnesses. This condition can create a dangerous cycle where elevated body temperature increases the metabolic rate, generating more heat and potentially leading to organ failure and brain damage. A severe form of hyperthermia, called heat stroke, can raise body temperature to life-threatening levels. Fever, on the other hand, is a controlled form of...
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Experimental Approach to Examine Leptin Signaling in the Carotid Bodies and its Effects on Control of Breathing
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Leptin Raises Defended Body Temperature without Activating Thermogenesis.

Alexander W Fischer1, Carolin S Hoefig2, Gustavo Abreu-Vieira3

  • 1Department of Molecular Biosciences, The Wenner-Gren Institute, The Arrhenius Laboratories F3, Stockholm University, 10691 Stockholm, Sweden; Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Cell Biology, University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf, 20246 Hamburg, Germany.

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Leptin does not increase energy expenditure or thermogenesis for weight loss. Instead, leptin normalizes body temperature in leptin-deficient mice by reducing heat loss, not by activating brown adipose tissue.

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Area of Science:

  • Physiology
  • Endocrinology
  • Thermoregulation

Background:

  • Leptin is traditionally believed to reduce weight by suppressing appetite and increasing energy expenditure/thermogenesis.
  • Leptin deficiency in ob/ob mice is associated with impaired thermogenesis and hypothermia, linked to reduced brown adipose tissue (BAT).

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate the thermogenic effects of leptin and its role in regulating body temperature in leptin-deficient mice.
  • To challenge the established view that leptin increases energy expenditure and thermogenesis for weight reduction.

Main Methods:

  • Assessment of brown adipose tissue (BAT) functionality in wild-type and ob/ob mice.
  • Measurement of thermogenesis and body temperature changes following leptin administration.
  • Analysis of heat loss mechanisms, specifically tail heat loss.

Main Results:

  • Brown adipose tissue (BAT) was found to be fully functional in ob/ob mice.
  • Leptin treatment did not increase thermogenesis in either wild-type or ob/ob mice.
  • Leptin normalized the decreased but defended body temperature (anapyrexia) in ob/ob mice by reducing tail heat loss, without increasing energy expenditure or BAT recruitment.

Conclusions:

  • Leptin's weight-reducing and appetite-suppressing effects are not mediated by increased thermogenesis.
  • Leptin acts as a pyrexic agent, altering central thermoregulatory set points, similar to other cytokines.
  • The study refutes the notion that leptin enhances weight loss through increased energy expenditure via thermogenesis.