Electrophysiological analysis of neuronal thermosensitivity in rat preoptic and hypothalamic tissue cultures.

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Abstract
Neurons (96) in 46 explant tissue cultures of rat medial basal hypothalamus (MBH) and preoptic area (POAH) were subjected to thermal stimulation. Neuronal response to temperature was determined on the basis of an extrapolated Q10 calculated from the regression line relating mean spontaneous activity to bath temperature. Thermal stimulation (28-41.degree. C) of POAH cultures resulted in the identification of 3 distinct groups of neurons: temperature-insensitive (0.5 .ltoreq. Q10 .ltoreq. 2), warm-sensitive (Q10 > 2) and cold-sensitive (Q10 < 0.5). No temperature-sensitive neurons were identified in MBH cultures. In the presence of a medium which effectively blocks synaptic transmission (12 mM-Mg2+ and 0.25 mM-Ca2+) the sensitivity of both warm- and cold-sensitive neurons was preserved. Thermosensitivity is a characteristic of the preoptic neuronal network in vitro and is an intrinsic characteristic of individual neurons.