Repeated exposure to high environmental temperature changes brain regional GABA metabolism
Biswas, S.; Poddar, M.K.
Methods and Findings in Experimental and Clinical Pharmacology 12(6): 395-400
1990
ISSN/ISBN: 0379-0355 PMID: 2087138 Document Number: 364557
The effects of repeated exposure (2 h/day) to high environmental temperatures (40.degree.C) for 7, 15 and 30 consecutive days on .gamma.-aminobutyric acid (GABA) metabolism in different regions of adult rat brain were investigated. The GABAergic activity in hypothalamus was increased with the increase in duration (7-30 days) of HET exposure. In corpus striatum, on the other hand, 7 days repeated HET-induced increase in GABAergic activity was attenuated on prolongation of HET exposure from 15-30 consecutive days. Repeated HET exposure for 7 consecutive days also enhanced cerebrocortical GABAergic activity that became normalized following 15 or 30 days repeated HET exposure. The GABA system in cerebellum and thalamus remained unaltered under similar conditions of long-term HET exposure. These results suggest that long-term (repeated HET exposure enhanced hypothalamic GABAergic activity to adapt to the environment with the regulation of body temperature.