Role of the haem oxygenase-carbon monoxide pathway in insulin-induced hypothermia: evidence for carbon monoxide involvement

A reduction of body temperature (T-b) is a phenomenon concomitant with hypoglycaemia in mammals. Haem oxygenase (HO) catalyses the metabolism of haem to biliverdin, free iron and carbon monoxide (CO). Recently, the HO pathway has been shown to play an important role in thermoregulation. The present study was designed to test the hypothesis that the HO pathway plays a role in insulin-induced hypothermia and that CO, rather than free iron or biliverdin, is the HO product involved in this response. Body temperature (T-b) of Wistar rats was measured by biotelemetry. Infusion of insulin (0.2 U/kg per h, i.v.) caused a significant drop in Tb. Intracerebroventricular (i.c.v.) administration of zinc deuteroporphyrin 2,4-bis glycol (ZnDPBG, a HO inhibitor, 200 nmol) combined with saline infusion had no effect on T-b but increased insulin-induced hypothermia significantly. The i.c.v administration of neither the iron chelator deferoxamine (250 mug) nor biliverdin (152 nmol) altered the hypothermic response to insulin, whereas CO-saturated saline significantly reduced insulin-induced hypothermia. These data indicate that the HO pathway prevents excessive drops in T-b in insulin-induced hypothermia. Because biliverdin and iron had no effect, while CO significantly reduced the hypothermic response elicited by insulin infusion, these data imply that CO is the HO product involved in the thermoregulatory effect of insulin-induced hypothermia.