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Nitric oxide reduces the thermogenic changes induced by lateral hypothalamic lesion
1Department of Human Physiology and Integrated Biological Function, Filippo Bottazzi, Second University of Naples, Italy.
Journal of Physiology, Paris
|January 1, 1994
Summary
Nitric oxide (NO) precursors, L-arginine and nitroprusside, reduce thermogenic changes after lateral hypothalamus lesions. This suggests NO is key in regulating body temperature following such brain damage.
Area of Science:
- Neuroscience
- Physiology
- Endocrinology
Background:
- The lateral hypothalamus (LH) plays a crucial role in regulating thermogenesis.
- Lesions to the LH can induce significant thermogenic changes.
- The role of nitric oxide (NO) in these thermogenic responses is not fully understood.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the effect of nitric oxide (NO) precursors on thermogenic changes induced by lateral hypothalamus (LH) lesions.
- To determine if NO modulates the neural and thermal responses following LH damage.
Main Methods:
- Intracerebroventricular (icv) injections of L-arginine (L-arg) or nitroprusside (NP) were administered to urethane-anesthetized rats with LH lesions.
- Neural firing rates of nerves innervating interscapular brown adipose tissue (IBAT) were monitored.
- IBAT and colonic temperatures (TIBAT and TC) were measured before and after icv injections.
Main Results:
- Injection of L-arg or NP significantly reduced the increase in nerve firing rate, TIBAT, and TC observed after LH lesion.
- Control groups (saline injections, sham lesions) did not exhibit these modulatory effects.
Conclusions:
- Nitric oxide (NO) plays a significant role in the thermogenic changes that occur after lateral hypothalamus (LH) lesions.
- NO modulation may be a key mechanism in the body's response to LH-induced disruptions in thermoregulation.