Deletion of the cold thermoreceptor TRPM8 increases heat loss and food intake leading to reduced body temperature and obesity in mice

The coupling of energy homeostasis to thermoregulation is essential to maintain homeothermy in changing external environments. We studied the role of the cold thermoreceptor TRPM8 in this interplay in mice of both sexes. We demonstrate that TRPM8 is required for a precise thermoregulation in respons...

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Detalles Bibliográficos
Autores: Reimúndez, Alfonso, Fernández-Peña, Carlos, García, Guillermo, Fernández, Rubén, Ordas, Purificación, Gallego, Rosalía, Pardo-Vázquez, José Luís, Arce, Victor, Viana, Félix, Señarís, Rosa
Tipo de recurso: artículo
Estado:Versión publicada
Fecha de publicación:2018
País:España
Institución:Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas (CSIC)
Repositorio:DIGITAL.CSIC. Repositorio Institucional del CSIC
OAI Identifier:oai:digital.csic.es:10261/296239
Acceso en línea:http://hdl.handle.net/10261/296239
Access Level:acceso abierto
Palabra clave:TRPM8
Thermoregulation
Food intake
Obesity
Fuel utilization
Heat dissipation
Descripción
Sumario:The coupling of energy homeostasis to thermoregulation is essential to maintain homeothermy in changing external environments. We studied the role of the cold thermoreceptor TRPM8 in this interplay in mice of both sexes. We demonstrate that TRPM8 is required for a precise thermoregulation in response to cold, in fed and fasting. Trpm8−/− mice exhibited a fall of 0.7°C in core body temperature when housed at cold temperatures, and a deep hypothermia (<30°C) during food deprivation. In both situations, TRPM8 deficiency induced an increase in tail heat loss. This, together with the presence of TRPM8-sensory fibers innervating the main tail vessels, unveils a major role of this ion channel in tail vasomotor regulation. Finally, TRPM8 deficiency had a remarkable impact on energy balance. Trpm8−/− mice raised at mild cold temperatures developed late-onset obesity and metabolic dysfunction, with daytime hyperphagia and reduction of fat oxidation as plausible causal factors. In conclusion, TRPM8 fine-tunes eating behavior and fuel utilization during thermoregulatory adjustments to mild cold. Persistent imbalances in these responses result in obesity.