Hypothermic and antipyretic effects of acth (1–24) and α-melanotropin in guinea-pigs

Abstract

Intracerebroventricular administration of adrenocorticotropin (ACTH 1–24) and α-melanotropin (α-MSH), peptides which occur naturally in brain induced dose-related hypothermia in guinea-pigs at room temperature (21°C) and also produced greater hypothermia at low (10°C) ambient temperature. However, when the experiments were repeated in a warm (30°C) environment, no effect on body temperature was observed. These results indicate that the peptides did not reduce the central set-point of temperature control. The hypothermia induced by ACTH and α-MSH was not mediated via histamine H 1- or H 2-receptors and serotonin since the H 1-receptor antagonist, mepyramine, the H 2-receptor antagonist, cimetidine, and the serotonin antagonist, methysergide, had no antagonistic effects. The peptides were antipyretic since they reduced pyrogen-induced-fever and hyperthermia due to prostaglandin E 2, norepinephrine and dibutyryl cAMP, at a dose which did not affect normal body temperature. The powerful central effects of these peptides on normal body temperature, fever and hyperthermia, together with their presence of the brain regions important to temperature control, suggest that they participate in thermoregulation.