Adrenergic and Cholinergic Inputs in Preoptic Area of Rats Interact for Sleep–Wake Thermoregulation

Abstract

Isolated studies have shown that both norepinephrine and acetylcholine into the medial preoptico-anterior hypothalamic area tonically regulate sleep–wake and body temperature. A possible interaction between these neurotransmitters for the regulation of such functions has been investigated in this study. To study this interaction a combination of either prazosin and carbachol or, scopolamine and methoxamine was injected into the medial preoptico-anterior hypothalamic area and the effect on sleep, wake, and rectal temperature recorded simultaneously. The combination of chemicals were selected based on our previous studies where it was observed that each of the chemicals in a combination had opposite effects. It was observed that injection of the combination expressed a resultant summated effects of individual component chemicals when injected in isolation (observed in previous studies). Because effect of neither of the chemicals in the combination was dominant, the results suggest an interaction and integration of the adrenergic and cholinergic inputs in the medial preoptico-anterior hypothalamic area for the regulation of sleep–wakefulness and body temperature.