Hypothermia produced by tributyl S,S,S-phosphorotrithioate (DEF)

Tributyl S,S,S-phosphorotrithioate (DEF) produces profound hypothermia in rats, mice and guinea pigs by inhibition of thermogenesis. Its actions on heat conservation and motor control are, however, minimal. It is effective against both shivering and non-shivering thermogenesis and completely blocks the increase in body temperature evoked by anterior hypothalamic stimulation. A number of other measures indicated that this is unlikely to be due to a lack of peripheral thermogenic capacity: thus plasma concentrations of glucose, free fatty acids, and ketone bodies remained normal or rose after DEF, and in vitro noradrenaline-stimulated lipolysis was normal in the presence of DEF. The metabolic response to the uncoupler, 2,4-dinitrophenol was unchanged by DEF, and the increase in temperature of brown fat evoked in vivo by nerve stimulation or noradrenaline was also unaffected. It is suggested that DEF (or more likely a DEF metabolite) acts selectively on a central thermogenic control process.