FEVER AND THE ACUTE ELEVATION IN WHOLE-BODY THERMOGENESIS INDUCED BY LATERAL HYPOTHALAMIC-LESIONS

Three studies investigated the role of fever in the acute elevation of heat production induced by lateral hypothalamic (LH) lesions and the mechanisms by which this thermogenic response can be attenuated by red uctions in body weight. In Study 1, reducing the weights of rats prior to lesioning the LH attenuated both the usual postlesion fever and el evation in thermogenesis. In Study 2. blocking prostaglandin synthesis with indomethacin likewise blunted both the lesion-induced fever and thermogenesis. In Study 3, treating already weight-reduced rats with i ndomethacin attenuated, but still failed to eliminate, the lesion-indu ced fever. Together, these results suggest that both the fever and inc reased thermogenesis induced by LH lesions are mediated, at least in p art, by prostaglandin mechanisms which themselves are influenced by bo dy energy status.