Bombesin-induced hypothermia in VMH-lesioned rats

Microinfusion of bombesin into the lateral ventricles (LV) of rats pretreated with insulin or acutely deprived of food has been demonstrated to reduce core body temperature. Lesions of the ventromedial hypothalamus (VMH) have been shown to produce hyperphagia, hyperinsulinemia, and to alter serum metabolic fuels. The present study examines VMH lesions as a permissive event in bombesin-induced hypothermia in rats tested at normal ambient temperature. A between-group design was used to evaluate the effect of microinjections of bombesin (1, 10, 100 ng) into the LV of rats with bilateral VMH lesions or sham lesions. Core body temperature was recorded over a 240-min period. In animals with lesions of the VMH, hypothermia was demonstrated by 30 min after injection of the 10 ng and 100 ng doses; the hypothermia persisted for 120 min. The 1 ng dose had no effect on body temperature in VMH-lesioned animals. Animals that received sham lesions of the VMH did not demonstrate a reduction in core body temperature at the maximum effective dose (100 ng) of bombesin. These results suggest that some event(s) associated with bilateral VMH lesions acts as a permissive factor in the production of bombesin-induced hypothermia at normal ambient temperature.