Abstract
BackgroundEnvironmental cues play important roles in the regulation of physiology and behavior in small mammals. In the present study, we performed a factorial experiment (temperature × photoperiod) in which the South China field mouse Apodemus draco (Rodentia: Muridae) was acclimated to different photoperiods (a long photoperiod of 16 h light/8 h dark and a short photoperiod of 8 h light/16 h dark) and temperatures (warm at 30°C and cold at 5°C) to test the hypothesis that photoperiod, temperature, or both together can trigger changes in serum leptin levels, body mass, thermogenesis, and energy intake.ResultsBody mass, the resting metabolic rate (RMR), nonshivering thermogenesis (NST), and energy intake significantly decreased in the cold condition. Cold exposure induced increases in mitochondrial protein contents, cytochrome C oxidase (COX) activity, and α-glycerophosphate oxidase (α-GPO) in the liver and brown adipose tissue (BAT). There were no significant differences in mitochondrial protein contents, COX, or α-GPO under different photoperiods. Cold also induced an increase in uncoupling protein 1 in the BAT but showed no significant differences with photoperiod.ConclusionsAll of the results indicated that A. draco was more sensitive to temperature. Further, serum leptin levels were involved in the processes of thermogenesis and body mass regulation in A. draco.
Highlights
Environmental cues play important roles in the regulation of physiology and behavior in small mammals
Body composition, and serum leptin levels For A. draco, there was no significant effect of photoperiod or temperature on body mass among the four
Our results were similar to those of previous studies, in which we found that a short photoperiod was an effective cue that influenced body mass and thermogenesis in E. miletus in the Hengduan Mountain region, but E. miletus was sensitive to temperature when acclimating to different photoperiods and temperatures (Zhu et al 2011)
Summary
Environmental cues play important roles in the regulation of physiology and behavior in small mammals. Energy metabolism is a critical component in the distribution, abundance, and reproductive success of rodents (Bozinovic 1992), which can perhaps be driven by changes in environmental cues, such as photoperiod and temperature (Heldmaier et al 1989; Li and Wang 2005a; Lovegrove 2005; Atiénzar et al 2012; Yoshida et al 2012). A 16-kDa protein, is synthesized in adipose tissues of mammals (Silva 2006). Leptin was found to Uncoupling protein 1 (UCP1), a membranous 33-kDa protein, is uniquely expressed in brown adipose tissue (BAT) (Zhang and Wang 2006). It was reported that leptin administration can enhance the expression of BAT-UCP1 messenger RNA (mRNA), indicating the potential involvement of leptin in thermogenesis (Scarpace et al 1997). Contradictory results were reported (Bing et al 1998; Abelenda et al 2003)
Sign-in/Register to view highlights & summary Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a callDisclaimer: All third-party content on this website/platform is and will remain the property of their respective owners and is provided on "as is" basis without any warranties, express or implied. Use of third-party content does not indicate any affiliation, sponsorship with or endorsement by them. Any references to third-party content is to identify the corresponding services and shall be considered fair use under The CopyrightLaw.
