Effect of GABAergic substances on firing rate and thermal coefficient of hypothalamic neurons in the juvenile chicken

A thermoregulatory role of the medullary raphe in birds

The brainstem region medullary raphe modulates non-shivering and shivering thermogenesis and cutaneous vasomotion in rodents. Whether the same scenario occurs in the other endothermic group, i.e. birds, is still unknown. Therefore, we hypothesised that the medullary raphe modulates heat gain and loss thermoeffectors in birds. We investigated the effect of glutamatergic and GABAergic inhibitions in this specific region on body temperature (Tb), oxygen consumption (thermogenesis), ventilation (O2 supply in cold, thermal tachypnea in heat) and heat loss index (cutaneous vasomotion) in one-week-old chicken exposed to neutral (31°C), cold (26°C) and heat (36°C) conditions. Intra-medullary raphe antagonism of NMDA glutamate (AP5; 0.5, 5 mM) and GABAA (bicuculline; 0.05, 0.5 mM) receptors reduced Tb of chicks at 31°C and 26oC, due mainly to an O2 consumption decrease. AP5 transiently increased breathing frequency during cold exposure. At 31°C, heat loss index was higher in the bicuculline and AP5 groups (higher doses) than vehicle at the beginning of the Tb reduction. No treatment affected any variable tested at 36oC. The results suggest that glutamatergic and GABAergic excitatory influences on the medullary raphe of chicks modulate thermogenesis and glutamatergic stimulation prevents tachypnea, without having any role in warmth-defence responses. A double excitation influence on the medullary raphe may provide a protective neural mechanism for supporting thermogenesis during early life, when energy expenditure to support growth and homeothermy is high. This novel demonstration of a thermoregulatory role for the raphe in birds suggests a convergent brainstem neurochemical regulation of body temperature in endotherms.

Influence of leptin and GABAB-receptor agonist and antagonist on neurons of the hypothalamic infundibular nucleus in the chicken

In birds and mammals, the neuroendocrine regulation of energy balance is conserved in many aspects. Despite significant similarities between the two groups, differences in the regulatory mechanisms were detected. The present study was performed to carry out investigations of the influence of human leptin and GABA_B-receptor agonist and antagonist on the firing rate of neurons of the Nucleus infundibuli hypothalami in brain slices from juvenile chickens. For the first time, we demonstrated a clear, dose-related change in the firing rate of hypothalamic neurons in juvenile chickens after the acute application of recombinant human leptin (1, 10, and 100 nM). All investigated neurons increased their subsequent firing rate. Application of GABA_B-receptor agonist baclofen (1 µM) blocked, while antagonist CGP 35348 (10 µM) increased the spontaneous neuronal activity. Simultaneous application of baclofen and leptin reduced the effect observed from single leptin application. This was not found after simultaneously application of leptin and CGP. Altogether, our results indicate that in bird brain slices, and exemplarily in those of the chicken, hypothalamic neurons show mammalian-like responsiveness after acute leptin and GABA application. GABA_B-mechanisms involved in GABA release play a likely important role in the leptin-mediated effects on NI neurons via functional leptin receptors.