Thermogenesis of interscapular brown adipose tissue selectively influences pontine and preoptic-hypothalamic temperatures during sleep in the rat

The thermal influence of dorsal cervical and interscapular brown adipose tissue (ISBAT) on pontine and preoptic-hypothalamic temperatures was studied in unrestrained adult male rats across the non-rapid eye movement sleep (NREM) and rapid eye movement sleep (REM) sleep states. The animals had chronically implanted electrodes and thermistors for electroencephalographic and temperature recordings. After acclimation to either low (4 °C) or neutral (30 °C) ambient temperatures, the rats were studied before and after ISBAT excision. The warming influence of ISBAT thermogenesis activated by low ambient temperature reached the pontine and the preoptic-hypothalamic areas. ISBAT thermogenesis is necessary to maintain the homeothermy of the preoptic-hypothalamic area in NREM sleep at low ambient temperature. Such an ISBAT thermal effect may contribute to the integrated control of non-shivering and shivering thermogenesis.