Fig. 6: DBS activated warm sensitive neurones (WSNs) in the MPN.

a Traces of action potential (AP) firing induced by HFS of the POA neurones. b AP firing rates in the POA of C57BL/6J mice brain slices (two-tailed Wilcoxon test, n = 9 cells from 4 mice). c, d A cocktail of synaptic blockers containing D-AP-5, CNQX, and bicuculline (c and d left panel: unpaired two-tailed t test, t(14) = 0.1102, P > 0.05, n = 8 cells from 3 mice), and ω-conotoxin-GVIA (d right panel: t(40) = 0.3716, P > 0.05, n = 24 cells from 4 mice) eliminated AP firing in response to 4 V HFS. e Traces of AP firing evoked by thermal stimulations of the MPN neurones. f MPN neuronal type based on AP firing rate and TC. RM-2ANOVA with Tukey’s multiple comparisons test was performed with * indicating WSNs P_{(39 °C vs. 26 °C)} = 0.0132 and P_{(36 °C vs. 26 °C)} = 0.039₆, # indicating MSNs P_{(36 °C vs. 26 °C)} = 0.0489, and ### for P_{(39 °C vs. 26 °C)} = 0.0003. n = 40 cells from 7 mice. g POA cell categories based on their TC. h Neuronal AP firing rate evoked by a sequence of thermal and electrical stimulations (RM-1ANOVA with Dunnett’s post hoc test, F_{(1.528, 19.86)} = 26.56, P < 0.0001; n = 26 cells from 9 mice). i The proportions of POA neurones responded to 4 V HFS and/or thermal stimulation. j Wild-type mouse brain slices calcium transients without HFS (green line), with 4 V HFS (red line), and with a cocktail of synaptic blockers (black line). Quantification of the average calcium transient amplitude (dF/F0) (k) and calcium transient spike frequency (min) (l) in response to HFS and in the presence of the cocktail of synaptic inhibitors (inhib) or ω-conotoxin (GVIA). Box plots indicate median (middle line), 25th, 75th percentile (box) and the maximum and minimum values as the whiskers. 1ANOVA with Tukey’s post hoc test; ****P < 0.0001 compared with the 4 V group for (k, l). n = 20 cells from 5 mice. All data were mean ± s.e.m. Source data are provided as a Source Data file.