Insulin and core body temperature linked

LA JOLLA, Calif., Nov. 23 (UPI) -- A team of scientists led by the Scripps Research Institute says it has discovered a direct link between insulin and core body temperature.

Although much research has been focused on insulin -- a hormone long associated with metabolism and metabolic disorders such as diabetes -- the new finding marks the first time insulin has been linked with the fundamental process of body temperature regulation.

The scientists said they found that when insulin was injected directly into a specific area of the brain in rodents, core body temperature rose, metabolism increased and brown adipose (fat) tissue was activated to release heat. The research team also found the effects were dose-dependent to a point -- the more insulin, the more the metabolic measures rose.

"Scientists have known for many years that insulin is involved in glucose regulation in tissues outside the brain," said Scripps Research neurobiologist Manuel Sanchez-Alavez, first author of the study. "The connection to temperature regulation in the brain is new."

The researchers said their finding highlights the possibility that differences in core temperature may play a role in obesity and may represent a therapeutic area in future drug design.

The research recently appeared in the online edition of the journal Diabetes and is to appear in the journal's January print issue.