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Peer-reviewedCC BY 4.0eLife

Oxytocin neurons signal state-dependent transitions from rest to thermogenesis and behavioral arousal

  • Morgane Vandendoren1
  • Jason G Landen1
  • Joseph F Rogers1
  • Samantha Killmer1
  • Baizar Alamiri1
  • Celeste Pohlman1
  • Glenn Tattersall2
  • Nicole L Bedford1
  • Adam Nelson1
  1. 1Department of Zoology and Physiology, University of Wyoming, Laramie, United States
  2. 2Department of Biological Sciences, Brock University, St. Catherines, Canada
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Abstract

Core body temperature (Tb) is defended within narrow limits through thermoregulatory behaviors like huddling, nesting, and physical activity, as well as autonomic responses like brown fat thermogenesis. While Tb displays regulated fluctuations across different behavioral states and rest/arousal cycles, the neural control of these transitions remains poorly understood. Here, we investigate the relationship between oxytocin neurons of the paraventricular hypothalamus (PVNOT) and behavioral and autonomic thermoeffector pathways across physiological states in mice. First, we show that PVNOT neurons are activated during social thermoregulation. We then demonstrate that in vivo PVNOT calcium dynamics align with transitions from rest to thermogenesis and behavioral arousal. Counter to our initial hypothesis, these dynamics were observed in both social and non-social contexts. Using a computer vision model to track thermoeffector pathways, we demonstrate that precisely timed stimulation of PVNOT neurons during low-Tb resting states increases thermogenesis followed by behavioral arousal. We therefore suggest a model in which PVNOT neurons facilitate homeostatic state-dependent transitions in thermo-behavioral states.

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Cite

BibTeXRIS
BibTeX
@article{vandendoren2026oxytocin,
  title = {{Oxytocin neurons signal state-dependent transitions from rest to thermogenesis and behavioral arousal}},
  author = {Morgane Vandendoren and Jason G Landen and Joseph F Rogers and Samantha Killmer and Baizar Alamiri and Celeste Pohlman and Glenn Tattersall and Nicole L Bedford and Adam Nelson},
  journal = {eLife},
  year = {2026},
  month = oct,
  doi = {10.7554/elife.108212},
  url = {https://elifesciences.org/articles/108212},
  note = {CC BY 4.0},
}
RIS
TY  - JOUR
TI  - Oxytocin neurons signal state-dependent transitions from rest to thermogenesis and behavioral arousal
AU  - Morgane Vandendoren
AU  - Jason G Landen
AU  - Joseph F Rogers
AU  - Samantha Killmer
AU  - Baizar Alamiri
AU  - Celeste Pohlman
AU  - Glenn Tattersall
AU  - Nicole L Bedford
AU  - Adam Nelson
PY  - 2026
DA  - 2026/10/30
JO  - eLife
DO  - 10.7554/elife.108212
UR  - https://elifesciences.org/articles/108212
AB  - Core body temperature (Tb) is defended within narrow limits through thermoregulatory behaviors like huddling, nesting, and physical activity, as well as autonomic responses like brown fat thermogenesis. While Tb displays regulated fluctuations across different behavioral states and rest/arousal cycles, the neural control of these transitions remains poorly understood. Here, we investigate the relationship between oxytocin neurons of the paraventricular hypothalamus (PVNOT) and behavioral and autonomic thermoeffector pathways across physiological states in mice. First, we show that PVNOT neurons are activated during social thermoregulation. We then demonstrate that in vivo PVNOT calcium dynamics align with transitions from rest to thermogenesis and behavioral arousal. Counter to our initial hypothesis, these dynamics were observed in both social and non-social contexts. Using a computer vision model to track thermoeffector pathways, we demonstrate that precisely timed stimulation of PVNOT neurons during low-Tb resting states increases thermogenesis followed by behavioral arousal. We therefore suggest a model in which PVNOT neurons facilitate homeostatic state-dependent transitions in thermo-behavioral states.
SN  - 2050-084X
ER  -