Central Control of Cold Defense Mechanisms and the Release of “Endopyrogen” in the Goat

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Abstract
Andersen, H. T. B. Andersson and C. Gale. Central control of cold defense mechanisms and the release of “endopyrogen” in the goat. Acta physiol. scand. 1962. 54. 159–174. – The thermoregulatory response to cooling of the preoptic area and the anterior hypothalamus was studied. In the calm animal, used to the experimental conditions, cooling of this part of the brain stem produced shivering in a cold environment only (below 18o C) or during local stimulation of peripheral cold receptors. Peripheral vasoconstriction was, however, obtained in all experiments even in a hot environment.Mild stress or the intravenous infusion of adrenaline and noradrenaline facilitated the shivering response to central cooling. Shivering could then be obtained also in a hot environment.After a delay of 25 to 45 minutes central cooling under certain circumstances induced a striking hypersensitivity of the cold defense mechanisms. The phenomenon was apparently due to a release of “endopyrogen”. It thus had all the known characteristics of the action of exogenous pyrogen. Adrenal medullary hormones seemed to be involved in the activation of the “endopyrogen”.To explain the results obtained, it is not necessary to postulate the existence of central cold receptors within the preoptic area. All observed effects which could be attributed to such neurons might as well be explained as due to an inactivation of central warm receptors.

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