Changes in [ 14C]deoxyglucose incorporation into rat brain regions during heat-seeking behavior in the cold environment

Abstract

The central nervous structures involved in behavioral thermoregulatory responses during cold exposure were investigated in conscious rats by means of the 2-deoxy-D-[ 14C]glucose ([ 14C]-DG) autoradiographic technique. According to autoradiographs, many brain regions with significant increases or decreases in [ 14C]-DG incorporation were observed during thermoregulatory behavior. When animals were only exposed to cold, significant increases in [ 14C]-DG incorporation were observed in the caudate putamen, lateral preoptic area, medial forebrain bundle, ventromedial hypothalamus (VMH), posterior hypothalamus, ventroposteromedial thalamus (VPM), dorsomedial thalamus (MD), substantia nigra (SN) and red nucleus (RN). Lower activities were observed in the hippocampus and the medial habenula. However, when animals performed the behavioral thermoregulation (heat seeking behavior) significant increases were noted in the sulcal prefrontal cortex, sensory-motor cortex, and MD, while decreases were noted in the piriform cortex, VMH, VPM, medial habenula, SN and RN, compared with those in the group without the thermoregulatory behavior.