| First Author | Škop V | Year | 2021 |
| Journal | Mol Metab | Volume | 53 |
| Pages | 101332 | PubMed ID | 34478905 |
| Mgi Jnum | J:322590 | Mgi Id | MGI:6787503 |
| Doi | 10.1016/j.molmet.2021.101332 | Citation | Skop V, et al. (2021) The effects of housing density on mouse thermal physiology depend on sex and ambient temperature. Mol Metab 53:101332 |
| abstractText | 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 degrees 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 degrees 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 degrees 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. |
