TUTOR: DOMENICO TUPONE OUTLINING THE CENTRAL NERVOUS CIRCUITS UNDERLYING THERMOREGULATORY INVERSION IN THE RAT Allegato 1: PROGRAMMA DI RICERCA

CNS thermoregulatory networks maintain body core temperature (TCORE) through a balance of cold and heat defensive responses. Thus, skin cooling elicits increased heat retention through cutaneous vasoconstriction (CVC) and heat production via sympathetic neural activation of brown adipose tissue (BAT) and shivering. Conversely, skin or core warming elicits inhibition of CVC, BAT thermogenesis, and shivering. However, under certain conditions, skin temperature changes can produce a paradoxical thermoregulatory response that we have termed thermoregulatory inversion (TI). TI is characterized by a paradoxical inhibition of thermogenesis in response to cold exposure and stimulation of thermogenesis during exposure to warm ambient temperature (TAMB). This inverted response is seen in hibernation and torpor, and may also occur during rapid eyemovement (REM) sleep.