Body thermal responses and the vagus nerve

Neuroscience Letters

Volume 698, 17 April 2019, Pages 209-216

Body thermal responses and the vagus nerve

Author links open overlay panelRui B.Chang

https://doi.org/10.1016/j.neulet.2019.01.013Get rights and content

Highlights

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Some vagal afferents are thermosensitive and may mediate visceral thermal reflexes.

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The Vagus nerve is critical for the neuro-immune axis but may not contribute to infection and inflammation induced fever.

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The vagus nerve is involved in metabolism and energy expenditure, but its role in temperature control is unclear.

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Cell-type specific genetic analysis would help reveal the precise role of the vagus nerve in thermoregulation.

Abstract

While thermosensation from external environment has been extensively studied, physiological responses to temperature changes inside the body and the underlying regulatory mechanisms are less understood. As a critical link between body and brain that relays visceral organ information and regulates numerous physiological functions, the vagus nerve has been proposed to mediate diverse visceral thermal reflexes and indirectly regulate body temperature. However, the precise role of the vagus nerve in body thermal responses or visceral organ-related thermoregulation is still under debate due to extensive contradictory results. This data discrepancy is likely due to the high cell heterogeneity in the vagus nerve, as diverse vagal neuron types mediate numerous and sometimes opposite physiological functions. Here, we will review evidences that support and against the role of the vagus nerve in body thermosensation and thermoregulation and discuss potential future approaches for better understanding of this critical issue.