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Preoptic EP3R Neurons Control Fever, Torpor
- Researchers have discovered a unique population of neurons in the brain, called preoptic EP3R neurons, that regulate the body's transitions between fever and torpor, essential physiological states for survival.
- Torpor is a reversible decrease in body temperature and metabolic rate aiding animals in surviving food scarcity, while fever is a hypermetabolic response to infections.
- EP3R-positive neurons in the median preoptic nucleus (MnPO) are identified as crucial for initiating and maintaining both fever and torpor.
- Stimulating these neurons induces prolonged hypothermia resembling torpor, while inhibiting them triggers sustained fever.
- Intracellular signaling cascades in EP3R-expressing MnPO neurons play a vital role in maintaining prolonged thermoregulatory states.
- EP3R neurons act as a genetic marker for the two-way thermoregulation switch, simplifying the understanding of temperature modulation.
- The findings not only deepen our knowledge of temperature control but also offer potential avenues for therapeutic interventions in temperature-related disorders.
- Understanding these neurons could lead to novel treatments targeting hypothermia or persistent fevers by modulating MnPO-EP3R neuronal activity.
- Insights into persistent intracellular signaling mechanisms may aid in developing pharmacological agents for precise control of fever and torpor states.
- The study's innovative use of optogenetics and chemogenetics demonstrates the causal role of EP3R neurons in temperature regulation.
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