Effect of PACAP on Heat Exposure
Heat stroke is a life-threatening illness caused by exposure to high ambient temperatures and relative humidity. The incidence of heat stroke is expected to increase due to climate change. Although pituitary adenylate cyclase-activating polypeptide (PACAP) has been implicated in thermoregulation, th...
| Main Authors: | , , , , , , , , , , , |
|---|---|
| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
MDPI AG
2023-02-01
|
| Series: | International Journal of Molecular Sciences |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | https://www.mdpi.com/1422-0067/24/4/3992 |
| Summary: | Heat stroke is a life-threatening illness caused by exposure to high ambient temperatures and relative humidity. The incidence of heat stroke is expected to increase due to climate change. Although pituitary adenylate cyclase-activating polypeptide (PACAP) has been implicated in thermoregulation, the role of PACAP on heat stress remains unclear. PACAP knockout (KO) and wild-type ICR mice were subjected to heat exposure at an ambient temperature of 36 °C and relative humidity of 99% for 30–150 min. After heat exposure, the PACAP KO mice had a greater survival rate and maintained a lower body temperature than the wild-type mice. Moreover, the gene expression and immunoreaction of c-Fos in the ventromedially preoptic area of the hypothalamus, which is known to harbor temperature-sensitive neurons, were significantly lower in PACAP KO mice than those in wild-type mice. In addition, differences were observed in the brown adipose tissue, the primary site of heat production, between PACAP KO and wild-type mice. These results suggest that PACAP KO mice are resistant to heat exposure. The heat production mechanism differs between PACAP KO and wild-type mice. |
|---|---|
| ISSN: | 1661-6596 1422-0067 |