Hyperthermia-associated changes in Fos protein in the median preoptic and other hypothalamic nuclei of the pig following intravenous administration of prostaglandin E2.

Changes in body temperature and hypothalamic Fos production were investigated in pigs injected intravenously with prostaglandin E2 (PGE2, 20 micrograms/kg). PGE2 produced a sustained (> 150 min) hyperthermia (0.7-1 degree C) and significant increases in Fos labelling in the supraoptic and paraventricular nuclei. In addition, PGE2 induced Fos production in the median preoptic nucleus, a region previously demonstrated to be involved in thermoregulation in this species.