Primate preoptic neurons drive hypothermia and cold defense

Area of Science:

• Neuroscience
• Physiology
• Thermoregulation

Background:

• Maintaining a stable core body temperature is crucial for warm-blooded animals.
• The preoptic area (POA) of the hypothalamus is known to regulate temperature in rodents.
• The specific neural circuits governing thermoregulation in primates are not well understood.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the role of the preoptic area (POA) in thermal regulation in primates.
• To identify specific neuronal populations within the POA that control body temperature.
• To characterize the physiological and behavioral responses to manipulating POA neuronal activity.

Main Methods:

• Utilized a chemogenetic strategy to selectively activate a subpopulation of POA neurons in macaques.
• Monitored comprehensive physiological parameters, including heart rate, skeletal muscle activity, and blood biomarkers.
• Employed resting-state functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) to map brain-wide network activity.

Main Results:

• Chemogenetic activation of POA neurons reliably induced hypothermia in macaques.
• Hypothermia was associated with increased heart rate, skeletal muscle activity, and specific blood biomarkers.
• Observed enhanced ambulatory movement and full cold-defense behaviors during induced hypothermia.
• Resting-state fMRI confirmed POA activation and identified a brain-wide thermoregulation network.

Conclusions:

• Demonstrates the central role of specific POA neurons in regulating body temperature in primates.
• Provides evidence for a brain-wide network involved in primate thermoregulation.
• Findings have potential implications for clinical applications in temperature regulation.