Bombesin alters the sympathetic nervous system response to cold exposure

The accumulation of dopamine in interscapular brown fat, heart, kidney and mesenteric white fat has been used as an index of sympathetic nervous activity in rats in which dopamine beta-hydroxylase has been blocked. Intracerebroventricular administration of bombesin impaired the cold-induced increase of dopamine accumulation in interscapular brown fat but not in other tissues. These studies provide evidence that bombesin acts within the central nervous system to modify efferent sympathetic nervous system responses to cold exposure in a viscerotopically specific manner. This action of bombesin is consistent with the other central nervous system actions of this peptide, i.e. inhibition of heat production and disruption of thermoregulation.