By directing pulses of light onto specific regions of the brain , researchers from Columbia University Medical Center induced feelings of extreme thirst in perfectly well hydrated mice — causing them to tope the equivalent weight of seven pints of H2O for a human .
scientist have suspected for some clip that thirst is regulated by nerve cell in the subfornical organ ( SFO ) in the brain ’s hypothalamus ( the part of the brain that link up the skittish system to the endocrine gland scheme via the pituitary gland ) . But know which nerve cell in particular are creditworthy has proven difficult .
A team at CUMC theorized that there are two type of nerve cell in the SFO — those that instigate feelings of hunger and those that bottle up it . Indeed , though thirst is thought of as a physical condition ( which it is ) , it ’s also comprehend psychologically ; it ’s the mastermind ’s way of telling us we need to take hold of a deglutition .
Areleasefrom CUMC explains how the squad tested their hypothesis :
[ Using ] optogenetics , investigator can control specific set of neurons in the brain after introduce light - activate corpuscle into them . Shining light onto these molecules turns on the neurons without affect other types of neurons nearby .
These “ mind - command ” experiment expose two types of neurons in the SFO that hold hunger : CAMKII neurons , which twist thirst on , and VGAT neurons , which turn it off .
When the researchers turn on CAMK11 nerve cell , mice immediately began to essay water and to drink intensively . This deportment was as strong in well - hydrated mice as in dehydrated ace . Once the nerve cell were shut off — by turn off the twinkle — the mouse immediately stopped drinking .
This was so effective that the mice drank the equivalent weight of seven pints of water , or 8 % of their body weight .
Importantly , the researcher also show that the rodents ’ interest in saltiness or intellectual nourishment were not affected , and that the two neuron - types in question were creditworthy for inducing and suppressing smell of thirst .
This enquiry , whichnow appearsin Nature , could assist scientists understandwhat goes wrong in disorders that make mass drink too much or too small fluidand to formulate therapies for evaporation .
[ CUMC|Live Science|PBS|IB Times ]
mental image : Charles Zuker
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