Journal of Applied Physiology, Vol 63, Issue 3 918-922, Copyright © 1987 by American Physiological Society
Effect of PGE2 on preoptic and anterior hypothalamic neurons using brain slice preparation
T. Watanabe, A. Morimoto and N. Murakami
Department of Physiology, Yamaguchi University School of Medicine, Ube, Japan.
In the present study, effects of prostaglandin (PG) E2 on the hypothalamic
neurons were investigated using slice preparations of rats. Warm- (57%) and
cold-responsive (33.3%) and thermally insensitive (42.3%) neurons were
facilitated by PGE applied in a culture chamber. Some neurons (5.1%) showed
inhibitory response to PGE2. The remaining neurons did not show any
responsiveness to PGE2. Moreover, we also examined the effects of PGE2 on
the hypothalamic neurons both in normal Krebs-Ringer solution and synaptic
blocking medium (low Ca2+, high Mg2+). Most of the neurons (12/15) retained
their responsiveness to PGE2 in the synaptic blocking medium, indicating
that PGE2 has a direct action on the hypothalamic neuron. Therefore, it is
conceivable that neurons in the preoptic and anterior hypothalamic region
that respond to PGE2 might play an important role in the development of
fever. However, characteristics of neurons responding to PGE2 were not
determined based on their thermoresponsiveness.
