Cell Proliferation: a Potential Compensatory Mechanism for Tissue Damage During Hibernation

Abstract

Cell proliferation is usually depressed during hibernation due to its highly energy-consuming nature. However, this process is not depressed all the time, with previous studies finding an increase in cell proliferation in the brain, testis and skeletal muscle tissues of some hibernators during hibernation. In our study, we investigated the relative mRNA expression levels of ZBED1 , an important transcription factor associated with cell proliferation, in five tissues of the greater horseshoe bat across pre-hibernation, deep hibernation and post-hibernation. Increased expression of ZBED1 during deep hibernation was only observed in the brain and skeletal muscle tissues, but not in the other tissues studied, suggesting a tissue-heterogeneity of the cell proliferation. Increased cell proliferation may compensate for tissue damages under stressful conditions during hibernation.