Publication
Title
Brain responses to ambient temperature fluctuations in fish : reduction of blood volume and initiation of a whole-body stress response
Author
Abstract
Spatial and temporal ambient temperature variations directly influence cellular biochemistry and thus the physiology of ectotherms. However, many aquatic ectothermic species maintain coordinated sensorimotor function during large acute body-temperature changes, which points to a compensatory mechanism within the neural system. Here we used high-resolution functional magnetic resonance imaging to study brain responses to a drop of 10 degrees C of ambient water temperature in common carp. We observed a strong drainage of blood out of the brain as of 90 s after the onset of the temperature drop, which would be expected to reduce entry of cold blood arriving from the gills so that the change in brain temperature would be slower. Although oxygen content in the brain thus decreased, we still found specific activation in the preoptic area ( involved in temperature detection and stress responses), the pituitary pars distalis ( stress response), and inactivation of the anterior part of the midbrain tegmentum and the pituitary pars intermedia. We propose that the blood drainage from the brain slows down the cooling of the brain during an acute temperature drop. This could help to maintain proper brain functioning including sensorimotor activity, initiation of the stress response, and the subsequent behavioral responses.
Language
English
Source (journal)
Journal of neurophysiology. - Bethesda, Md
Publication
Bethesda, Md : 2005
ISSN
0022-3077
DOI
10.1152/JN.01113.2004
Volume/pages
93 :5 (2005) , p. 2849-2855
ISI
000228575200044
Note
doi:10.1152/jn.01113.2004
Full text (Publisher's DOI)
Full text (publisher's version - intranet only)
UAntwerpen
Faculty/Department
Research group
Publication type
Subject
Affiliation
Publications with a UAntwerp address
External links
Web of Science
Record
Identifier
Creation 08.10.2008
Last edited 23.12.2021
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