Heat in summer: How the hypothalamus protects our body!

Heat in summer: How the hypothalamus protects our body!

In recent years, summers in North Rhine-Westphalia (NRW) have become increasingly hotter. The region around Tönisvorst in particular has established itself as a hotbed of temperatures, where a breathtaking 41.2 degrees Celsius was measured on July 25, 2019. Such extreme values ​​not only make you feel uneasy, they also raise the question of how our bodies deal with these extreme conditions. The hypothalamus, a central part of the diencephalon, plays a crucial role because it regulates the vegetative functions in the human body. With a healthy lifestyle - regular exercise, a balanced diet, no smoking and little alcohol - this part of the brain functions optimally, as rp-online.de reported.

But how does the body adapt to these ever-increasing temperatures? Scientists at Heidelberg University have discovered a fascinating adaptation mechanism observed in mice exposed to a constant 36 degrees Celsius for 30 days. In the group of heat-sensitive nerve cells in the hypothalamus of these animals, a particularly active population of neurons that emit continuous signal stimuli was identified. This is a biological miracle tool to protect the body from overheating, as klinikum.uni-heidelberg.de describes.

Adaptation in the brain

Research shows that the activity of these neurons is crucial to how well mice cope with high temperatures. Mice that had gotten used to the 36 degrees were able to withstand heat of up to 39 degrees Celsius for 24 hours, while unacclimated mice surrendered after a maximum of six hours. This shows how powerful and adaptable our brains are - and this is not just relevant for mice. Similar mechanisms could help us humans deal better with increasing heat stress, as reported by hct.online.

The research of Professor Dr. Jan Siemens at the Heidelberg Medical Faculty is investigating how nerve cells detect and regulate temperature. This shows that the adjustments do not only have a short-term effect; It takes several days of intense heat exposure to significantly increase heat tolerance in acclimatized mice. By specifically deactivating or activating these neurons, the role they play in promoting slow but effective adaptation has been demonstrated.

Reduce health risks

Given persistently high temperatures, the need for additional protection strategies is clear. While short-term heat is treated with faster responses from the body, prolonged heat stress requires the activation of specific neuronal signaling pathways in the hypothalamus. Further research is needed here to better assess and possibly counteract the health risks caused by long heat waves. The aim is to develop strategies that are important for both people and animals - a step that will become increasingly relevant for many of us in view of climate change and its consequences.