Effect of intracerebral administration of substance P on body temperature.

Effects of substance P (SP) administered into anterior hypothalamus or lateral ventricle on body temperature were investigated. When administered into lateral ventricle in doses from 20 to 2000 ng SP failed to influence body temperature. Application of SP into anterior hypothalamus in the same doses (20-2000 ng) resulted in a mild but insignificant increase in body temperature. No visible changes in the behavior of the rats, except slight sedation after the highest dose administered into lateral ventricle, were observed after application of SP. These results suggest that SP does not play any essential role in thermoregulation.