The effects of housing density on mouse thermal physiology depend on sex and ambient temperature.
Mol Metab
; 53: 101332, 2021 11.
Article
em En
| MEDLINE
| ID: mdl-34478905
ABSTRACT
OBJECTIVE:
To improve understanding of mouse energy homeostasis and its applicability to humans, we quantitated the effects of housing density on mouse thermal physiology in both sexes.METHODS:
Littermate wild type and Brs3-null mice were single- or group- (three per cage) housed and studied by indirect calorimetry with continuous measurement of core body temperature, energy expenditure, physical activity, and food intake.RESULTS:
At 23 °C, below thermoneutrality, single-housed males had a lower body temperature and unchanged metabolic rate compared to group-housed controls. In contrast, single-housed females maintained a similar body temperature to group-housed controls by increasing their metabolic rate. With decreasing ambient temperature below 27 °C, only group-housed mice decreased their heat conductance, likely due to huddling, thus interfering with the energy expenditure vs ambient temperature relationship described by Scholander. In a hot environment (35 °C), the single-housed mice were less heat stressed. Upon fasting, single-housed mice had larger reductions in body temperature, with male mice having more torpor episodes of similar duration and female mice having a similar number of torpor episodes that lasted longer. Qualitatively, the effects of housing density on thermal physiology of Brs3-null mice generally mimicked the effects in controls.CONCLUSIONS:
Single housing is more sensitive than group housing for detecting thermal physiology phenotypes. Single housing increases heat loss and amplifies the effects of fasting or a cold environment. Male and female mice utilize different thermoregulatory strategies to respond to single housing.Palavras-chave
Texto completo:
1
Base de dados:
MEDLINE
Assunto principal:
Temperatura
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Composição Corporal
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Temperatura Corporal
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Receptores da Bombesina
Limite:
Animals
Idioma:
En
Ano de publicação:
2021
Tipo de documento:
Article