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Explains how people and animals living in different parts of the world survive in hotter and colder climates using remarkable adaptive strategies and behaviors.

Bone protein link to fever The protein RANK (receptor-activator of nuclear factor κB) and its ligand RANKL are essential bone marrow regulators, and antibodies against RANKL are being developed as therapeutics in osteoporosis. RANKL and RANK are also expressed in the central nervous system, though their function there has been unclear. Studies in rats and mice now show that RANKL/RANK are expressed in astrocytes in the brain and that surprisingly, animals injected with RANKL develop severe fever, whereas genetically engineered mice with astrocytes lacking RANK are fever-resistant. Other data are consistent with a role for RANKL/RANK in both the central fever response in inflammation and in the control of female body temperature. Interestingly, clinical observations of two children with osteoporosis associated with RANK mutations revealed an absence of fever during bouts of pneumonia. It is possible that RANKL/RANK are factors in the hot flashes or flushes sometimes experienced by women during the menopause. Receptor-activator of NF-κB ligand (RANKL) and its receptor RANK are known to be essential regulators of bone remodelling, lymph node organogenesis and formation of a lactating mammary gland, but the functional relevance of their expression in the brain has been unclear. RANKL and RANK are now reported to have an essential role in the brain, with the central injection of RANKL into mice and rats triggering severe fever, and a further potential role in the control of thermoregulation in females. Receptor-activator of NF- κ B ligand (TNFSF11, also known as RANKL, OPGL, TRANCE and ODF) and its tumour necrosis factor (TNF)-family receptor RANK are essential regulators of bone remodelling, lymph node organogenesis and formation of a lactating mammary gland 1 , 2 , 3 , 4 . RANKL and RANK are also expressed in the central nervous system 5 , 6 . However, the functional relevance of RANKL/RANK in the brain was entirely unknown. Here we report that RANKL and RANK have an essential role in the brain. In both mice and rats, central RANKL injections trigger severe fever. Using tissue-specific Nestin-Cre and GFAP-Cre rank floxed deleter mice, the function of RANK in the fever response was genetically mapped to astrocytes. Importantly, Nestin-Cre and GFAP-Cre rank floxed deleter mice are resistant to lipopolysaccharide-induced fever as well as fever in response to the key inflammatory cytokines IL-1β and TNFα. Mechanistically, RANKL activates brain regions involved in thermoregulation and induces fever via the COX2-PGE 2 /EP3R pathway. Moreover, female Nestin-Cre and GFAP-Cre rank floxed mice exhibit increased basal body temperatures, suggesting that RANKL and RANK control thermoregulation during normal female physiology. We also show that two children with RANK mutations exhibit impaired fever during pneumonia. These data identify an entirely novel and unexpected function for the key osteoclast differentiation factors RANKL/RANK in female thermoregulation and the central fever response in inflammation.

\"A compelling investigation into the quest to maintain core body temperature-and how it drives genetic and social evolution, civilization, health, and technology. A cup of tea, coffee, or cocoa is calming and comforting-but why? Recent research suggests that temperature, even that derived from holding a hot beverage, can influence our emotions and behaviors. In Heartwarming, social psychologist Hans IJzerman explores temperature and its role in our daily lives through the long lens of evolution. Besides breathing, regulating body temperature is one of the most important tasks for any animal. Like huddling penguins, we humans have long relied each other to maintain our temperatures. Over millennia, this instinct for thermoregulation has driven our social lives. Understanding how temperature affects human sociality leads to fascinating new questions in our changing world: How will climate change impact society? Can thermoregulation keep relationships closer, even across distance? IJzerman offers new insights for therapists, doctors, sufferers of illnesses both mental and physical, and all of us who want to better understand our bodies and our connections. Heartwarming takes readers on a captivating journey through the world, seen from the perspective of coldness and warmth\"-- Provided by publisher.

Body temperature homeostasis is critical for survival and requires precise regulation by the nervous system. The hypothalamus serves as the principal thermostat that detects and regulates internal temperature. We demonstrate that the ion channel TRPM2 [of the transient receptor potential (TRP) channel family] is a temperature sensor in a subpopulation of hypothalamic neurons. TRPM2 limits the fever response and may detect increased temperatures to prevent overheating. Furthermore, chemogenetic activation and inhibition of hypothalamic TRPM2-expressing neurons in vivo decreased and increased body temperature, respectively. Such manipulation may allow analysis of the beneficial effects of altered body temperature on diverse disease states. Identification of a functional role for TRP channels in monitoring internal body temperature should promote further analysis of molecular mechanisms governing thermoregulation and foster the genetic dissection of hypothalamic circuits involved with temperature homeostasis.

\"Read this book to learn more about how penguins stay warm in cold climates\"-- Provided by publisher.

Sepsis is a systemic inflammatory response to infection, accounting for the most common cause of death in intensive care units. Here, we report that peripheral administration of the hypothalamic neuropeptide orexin improves the survival of mice with lipopolysaccharide (LPS) induced endotoxin shock, a well-studied septic shock model. The effect is accompanied by a suppression of excessive cytokine production and an increase of catecholamines and corticosterone. We found that peripherally administered orexin penetrates the blood-brain barrier under endotoxin shock, and that central administration of orexin also suppresses the cytokine production and improves the survival, indicating orexin's direct action in the central nervous system (CNS). Orexin helps restore body temperature and potentiates cardiovascular function in LPS-injected mice. Pleiotropic modulation of inflammatory response by orexin through the CNS may constitute a novel therapeutic approach for septic shock.

\"Do polar bears build homes to keep warm? Do penguins snuggle with a friend? Yes! But their homes aren't made of wood, and penguins don't cuddle on a couch. Instead, these animals -- and many others -- have adapted in amazing ways to survive chilly weather. [This book] is a light-hearted introduction to animal adaptations around the world. Funny interactive questions paired with comic illustrations will leave readers laughing for more!\"-- Back cover.

Pelibuey and Suffolk sheep were compared as to their capacity to regulate body temperature under environmental hyperthermia by measuring their differences in cellular response to heat stress (HS). In a first experiment, seven Pelibuey and seven Suffolk ewes were kept in a climatic chamber for 6 h daily during 10 days (temperatures within the 18 to 39.5 °C range). As chamber temperature rose, sheep rectal temperature increased in both groups, but to a lesser extent in Pelibuey (0.3 °C) than in Suffolk sheep (0.7 °C) (P < 0.05). In a second experiment, cellular viability was assessed using cultured blood mononuclear cells from 15 Pelibuey and 15 Suffolk sheep. They were incubated at 37 °C for 24 h (control) or 43 °C for 6 h followed by 18 h at 37 °C (HS). In a third experiment, another blood mononuclear cells culture from eight Pelibuey and eight Suffolk sheep was kept at 37 °C for 15 h; these were subsequently cultured for 6 h at 37 °C (controls) or 43 °C (HS). Next, HSP-70 concentration was determined. HS reduced the percentage of viable cells to a greater extent in Suffolk [37 °C (73.7 %) vs. 43 °C (61.9 %); P < 0.05] than in Pelibuey sheep [37 °C (74.9 %) vs. 43 °C (66.7 %); P > 0.05]. HS significantly increased HSP-70 average concentrations for both breeds at 43 °C. A significant effect was observed for the breed by temperature interaction (P < 0.05) caused by a greater difference between Pelibuey and Suffolk at 43 °C (2.85 vs. 0.53 ng/mL, respectively; P < 0.05) than at 37 °C (0.05 vs. 0.03 ng/mL, respectively; P > 0.05). In conclusion, Pelibuey sheep show more effective body temperature regulation under conditions of environmental hyperthermia. Also, cell viability after HS was higher in Pelibuey than in Suffolk, an effect that could be mediated by an HSP-70-related mechanism.

Thirty Santa Ines adult, non-lactating, non-pregnant ewes, ten with a brown coat, ten black coated and ten white coated, as well as ten Bergamasca and ten of mixed breed were used to evaluate the effect of climate on physiological and blood parameters in sheep. Two sample collections were taken (6  am and 2  pm ) on six days. Sweating rate (SR), heart (HR) and breathing rates (BR), complete hemogram, rectal (RT) and skin temperatures (ST) were measured. Variance analyses were carried out using SAS®. In general, there were significant differences between animals due to skin type, time and day of collection. White coated animals showed lower HR, BR and RT, with afternoon parameters higher than morning. Correlations between HR, BR, RT, SR and ST were medium and positive. Correlations between physiological and blood traits were in general negative and medium. Packed Cell Volume (PCV), total plasma proteins, red blood cell count and hemoglobin concentration had high positive correlations between each other. The first two autovectors explained 49% of variation between traits. White coated Santa Ines animals were shown to be better adapted to climatic conditions in Central Brazil and wool sheep more affected by heat.