Impact of early feeding on growth and meat quality in fast- and slower-growing broiler strains.

Transcriptional profiling of the anterior cingulate cortex and nucleus accumbens using a double-hit model of prenatal and adolescent alcohol exposure.

BackgroundResource scarcity poses a real challenge to living organisms. The present study aimed to understand the implications of water and food lack on some biochemical markers. The study also aimed to investigate the expression of Hsp70 gene under the same stress conditions. The Hsp70 gene maintains cellular proteostasis. It is unique in its high sensitivity and rapid response to various stress factors compared to other Hsps.MethodsBrood frames of Carniolan hybrid bees were incubated at 30 °C and 70% RH. Emerged bees were placed in plastic cages (30 individuals per cage) and received daily diets of pollen-sugar pastes and sugar solutions. After nine days, bees were independently subjected to dehydration and starvation experiments for 24 h. One group was deprived of only sugar solutions (Dehydrated DH), another group was denied both sugar solutions and pollen pastes, receiving only tap water (Starved ST), while a third group continued without water or food deprivation (Control C). Bee samples were collected at 12-hour intervals in each experiment for subsequent investigations. Biochemical measurements were performed on total protein, total antioxidant capacity, peroxidase, catalase, glutathione S-transferase, and acid phosphatase. Gene expression of Hsp70 gene was under observation. Bee weights were also considered.ResultsBoth dehydrated and starved bees showed notable changes in their examined biomarkers. Starvation had a more pronounced and rapid biochemical effect. The decreases in Hsp70 mRNA levels following water or food deprivation were surprising to us and reflect the severity of these two stressors. Other differences were also recorded in the weights of dehydrated and starved bees.ConclusionsThis study reveals honeybees’ extreme sensitivity to nutritional stress and warns against depriving them of water or food for even a few hours.Supplementary InformationThe online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1186/s40850-026-00265-3.

Congenital nephrogenic diabetes insipidus (CNDI) is characterized by resistance of the distal nephrons and collecting ducts to arginine vasopressin (AVP). High doses of 1-deamino-8-D-arginine vasopressin (DDAVP), a V2-receptor-selective agonist, are effective in some cases. The present study aimed to demonstrate the use, efficacy, and safety of DDAVP and the characteristics of patients who responded to this treatment. The present, retrospective, multicentric, observational survey of patients with CNDI receiving DDAVP was based on a previous, nationwide survey conducted by the Japanese Society for Pediatric Endocrinology (JSPE) and collected data on the use (formulation, dosage, and treatment duration), efficacy (change in urine output and height SDS), and safety of DDAVP. In the initial survey, 43 of 123 JSPE council members (35.0%) observed the patients. The secondary survey of 13 patients found DDAVP to be effective in five patients (38.5%), as evidenced by a 12.6-31.6% decrease in urine output. The maximum urine osmolality on a water deprivation test and urine osmolality after vasopressin injection were lower in patients who were unresponsive to DDAVP than in those who were responsive to the drug (106 vs. 206 mOsm/H2O/kg, 140 vs. 525 mOsm/H2O/kg). The AVPR2 variants identified in the DDAVP-responsive group were p.Ala37Pro, p.Leu44Phe, p.Arg104Cys, and p.Tyr128Ser. DDAVP was effective against CNDI with residual V2R function. The water deprivation test with vasopressin injection and genetic testing may be useful for predicting responsiveness to DDAVP.

Exercising under dehydrated conditions is common among physically active individuals, yet its impact on immune cell mitochondrial quality control, oxidative stress and inflammatory signaling, and systemic inflammatory mediators remains poorly defined. This study investigated mitochondrial quality control and systemic inflammatory responses to high-volume resistance exercise (HVRE) under hydrated (HYD) and dehydrated (DEH) conditions in ten young men (21±1 years, 175±6 cm, 76.9±10.5 kg, 18.5±6.3% fat). Participants completed two identical HVRE sessions following either normal hydration or 24h fluid restriction. Peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCS) collected before (PRE) and at 1h and 3h post-HVRE were analyzed for proteins related to mitochondrial quality control (PINK1, Parkin, DRP1, p-DRP1S616, MFN2), oxidative stress and inflammatory signaling (p-NF-κBS536, NF-κB, SOD2, H2O2), autophagy machinery and degradation (LC3-I, LC3-II, p62, cathepsin-L), and blood samples for systemic inflammatory mediators (IL-6, TNF-α, CRP, H2O2). Significant time × condition interaction effects revealed that LC3-II/I was greater in DEH than HYD at PRE and 3h. In DEH, LC3-II/I returned to PRE levels at 3h, whereas in HYD, it was greatest at 3h. PINK1 was greater at 1h and 3h and pDRP1S616 was greater at 3h in DEH than HYD. Also, PINK1 and pDRP1S616 were greatest at 3h post-HVRE in DEH. Lastly, significant condition main effects revealed greater MFN2, p62, LC3-II, H2O2 in PBMCs and greater IL-6, and CRP in serum in DEH than HYD. These results provide novel evidence that 24 hours of fluid restriction before metabolically demanding resistance exercise activates mitochondrial quality control in PBMCs and elevates systemic inflammatory mediators.

Background: Paraneoplastic limbic encephalitis (PLE) with anti-Ma2 antibodies is a rare immune-mediated disorder associated with testicular cancer, particularly in young males. While neurological manifestations are well documented, hypothalamic-pituitary dysfunctions remain underreported. We present a case of anti-Ma2 PLE associated with testicular cancer together with a systematic review of PLE associated with testicular cancer, selectively restricted to anti-Ma2 positive cases and focusing on hypothalamic-endocrine involvement. Case presentation: We describe a 21-year-old male diagnosed with anti-Ma2 PLE and intratubular germ cell neoplasia of the right testis. He underwent orchifunicolectomy and immunosuppressive therapy with neurological improvement. Four years later, he developed new-onset temporal seizures, decreased libido, and a polyuria-polydipsia syndrome. Dynamic endocrine testing, including a water deprivation test and copeptin measurement, supported a diagnosis of partial central diabetes insipidus (CDI). Methods: A systematic literature review was performed in accordance with PRISMA guidelines. PubMed was searched using predefined keywords without time restriction. Studies reporting PLE associated with testicular tumors in humans with confirmed anti-Ma2 antibody positivity were included. Results: Eleven studies were included, reporting a total of 38 patients with anti-Ma2-associated PLE and testicular cancer. Hypothalamic or diencephalic involvement was described in 16 patients (42.0%), while endocrine manifestations were explicitly reported in four cases. Only two previous reports mentioned CDI, without detailed diagnostic evaluation. Conclusions: This study highlights the importance of recognizing hypothalamic-endocrine manifestations in PLE. In patients presenting with polydipsia and polyuria, CDI should be carefully differentiated from primary polydipsia using dynamic testing. Hypothalamic involvement may emerge years after tumor treatment, warranting long-term endocrine surveillance.

Broiler transport in hot climates is associated with higher heat stress, mortality, and meat-quality defects when high temperature and humidity combine with uneven ventilation to create hot, humid thermal core zones during prolonged feed and water deprivation. This review synthesizes mitigation options across pre-transport preparation, in-transit management, and post-transport recovery, focusing on practices feasible on farms and in processing plants and using a decision-relevant framing that prioritizes controlling total deprivation time, limiting within-load heat and humidity accumulation, and providing a recovery microclimate after arrival. Pre-transport priorities include planning withdrawal as total deprivation time, minimizing catching and loading delays, and maintaining crate hygiene to reduce fecal contamination and in-crate air-quality challenges under warm, humid conditions. Dietary additives may support muscle energy buffering and oxidative status. During transit, risk may be lowered by ventilation-aware loading and stacking, checking air distribution across the load, and adjusting crating density based on weather and journey duration. Misting should be used only when airflow is adequate because adding water without ventilation can raise humidity and weaken evaporative cooling. After transport, lairage should be treated as an active recovery step with clear microclimate targets before slaughter.

Deserts are among the most extreme environments on Earth. High temperatures and a lack of water impose powerful selective pressures on desert species, offering an opportunity to investigate the genetic basis of local adaptation. Despite the unique challenges of desert living, house mice (Mus musculus domesticus), a species native to Western Europe, have recently colonized the Sonoran Desert in North America within the last 400-600 generations. House mice from the Sonoran Desert show phenotypic differences consistent with adaptation to water scarcity, including maintaining weight better under water stress than non-desert mice. To investigate the genetic basis of the physiological responses to water deprivation, we compared gene expression responses of desert house mice and an interfertile non-desert dwelling subspecies (M. m. musculus) and their F1 hybrids after 72 hours without water access. First, we show that desert and non-desert mice exhibit highly divergent transcriptional responses to water deprivation across three tissues (hypothalamus, liver, and kidney). Then, by surveying allele-specific expression in intersubspecific hybrids between desert and non-desert mice, we uncover cis-regulatory differences driving changes in the transcriptional response to dehydration (e.g., cis-by-environment interactions). These cis-regulatory changes were highly tissue-specific, consistent with modular regulatory changes shaping expression divergence. Intriguingly, we find that genes with cis-regulatory differences induced by water access were involved in the arachidonic acid pathway, a primary adaptation pathway across many desert species, and lipid metabolism. Finally, our results highlight several candidate genes of interest for understanding rapid adaptation to desert living. Together, our results identify context-dependent cis-regulatory evolution as a key contributor to variation in dehydration response and a potential mechanism facilitating rapid adaptation to extreme environments.

Alfalfa (Medicago sativa L.) is a globally important forage legume and the most widely cultivated sown pasture species in China. Drought, as one of the most common abiotic stresses, limits alfalfa growth and development. Nitric oxide (NO), a key signaling molecule, plays an essential role in plant growth, development, and responses to various abiotic stresses. In this study, exogenous NO was applied to alfalfa seedlings under drought stress, followed by physiological and transcriptomic analyses. The results showed that sodium nitroprusside (SNP)-treated alfalfa seedlings grew better than untreated controls (CK), with improved leaf tissue structure. Meanwhile, SNP treatment increased proline content, reduced malondialdehyde accumulation, and enhanced hydroxyl radical scavenging capacity. Under drought stress, lignin content increased in alfalfa seedlings. Following exogenous NO application, lignin content in alfalfa seedlings further increased. RNA-Seq analysis identified 20,183 differentially expressed genes (DEGs) in alfalfa seedlings treated with PEG, SNP, or PEG + SNP. KEGG enrichment analysis indicated that the DEGs under drought stress were involved in the phenylpropanoid biosynthesis pathway, which regulates lignin biosynthesis and enhances drought tolerance. GO enrichment analysis revealed that these DEGs participated in the response to water deprivation, thereby modulating drought stress tolerance and improving drought resistance. Furthermore, we assessed the transcript-level changes in genes induced by phenylpropanoid biosynthesis in alfalfa. Among them, 124 DEGs were identified as participating in phenylpropanoid biosynthesis, including 10 up-regulated DEGs (three of which encode key enzymes associated with lignin synthesis), while the remaining DEGs were down-regulated. These findings provide new insights into the transcriptomic mechanisms of SNP-mediated drought adaptation in alfalfa and reveal key pathways contributing to drought tolerance in this species.

South Africa’s water crisis represents a profound governance emergency wherein systematic corruption and institutional dysfunction undermine constitutional guarantees of access to basic services. This paper examines the political economy of water insecurity through documentary analysis, triangulating auditor-general reports, investigative journalism, and policy documents across strategically selected municipalities. I argue that water service delivery failures result from interconnected pathologies: infrastructure decay through decades of neglect and corrupt procurement, the transformation of emergency interventions into permanent rent-seeking opportunities through what I term the “tanker-industrial complex,” systematic corruption embedded in cadre deployment and state capture networks, and the undermining of climate adaptive capacity through governance failures. These dynamics reproduce spatial inequalities I conceptualise as “hydraulic apartheid,” whereby democratic transition has failed to transform inherited geographies of water privilege and deprivation. The persistence of severe water insecurity amid visible elite enrichment erodes democratic legitimacy, evidenced by endemic service delivery protests and constitutional litigation. Situating South Africa’s crisis within creeping crisis and governance capacity frameworks reveals how gradual dysfunction normalisation creates perverse incentives against resolution. I propose comprehensive reform pathways encompassing anticorruption enforcement, administrative professionalisation, financial management improvements, and potentially radical restructuring of service delivery models where municipal governance has irretrievably failed.

Legumes are the primary source of plant protein in both human and livestock diets and, therefore, play an essential role in nutrition. Common vetch (Vicia sativa L.) is a grain legume widely used in animal feed. Its nutritional properties, particularly its high protein content, make it an adequate component to enrich feedstuffs. Common vetch, like other legumes, is essential in sustainable agriculture systems in mitigating soil degradation and reducing the need for chemical fertilizers, due to its ability to fix atmospheric nitrogen, but it is increasingly being affected by drought - one of the main environmental factors that reduces its production. The genetic diversity among different varieties and environmental conditions may significantly impact the productivity and nutritional composition of legume grains. In this study, we explore the effect of intra-species genetic diversity on protein levels, carbohydrates, minerals and the composition of specific nutrients, antioxidants and antinutritional factors. We have also analyzed the impact of drought stress and rhizobial symbiosis on the nutritional quality of vetch grain. Our results indicate that there are specific alterations in the selective enrichment or depletion of certain nutrients and ANFs among the diverse V. sativa accessions that have been analyzed but, interestingly, there are also differences in grain composition under different treatments, such as water deprivation, or in plants that have established rhizobial symbiosis. Our findings suggest that the combined effect of genotype and environment, such as drought or symbiosis, plays an important role in the nutritional composition of the grain legume V. sativa. © 2026 The Author(s). Journal of the Science of Food and Agriculture published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd on behalf of Society of Chemical Industry.

Calcium plays a role in modulating aquaporin expression, reducing oxidative stress, preserving chlorophyll content, and maintaining membrane integrity, suggesting it may enhance eucalypt resilience to water restriction. Drought is a significant abiotic stress that severely impacts the growth and productivity of forests worldwide. This study investigates the role of calcium (Ca2+) supply in modulating aquaporin (AQP) gene expression and mitigating oxidative stress in eucalypt (Eucalyptus urophylla × Eucalyptus camaldulensis) under water restriction. Three-month-old eucalypt seedlings were subjected to water restriction, with or without Ca2+ supplementation. We measured mRNA expression levels of five aquaporin isoforms (PIP1;2, PIP1;3, PIP2;1, PIP2;2, and PIP2;7), chlorophyll content, and markers of oxidative stress [e.g., hydrogen peroxide (H2O2), malondialdehyde (MDA), and the activities of catalase (CAT) and superoxide dismutase (SOD)]. Our findings reveal that initial water restriction upregulated the expression of PIP1;2, PIP2;1, PIP2;2, and PIP2;7 in roots, which likely facilitated water uptake and maintained cellular hydration. However, under prolonged water limitation, plants supplemented with Ca2+ showed downregulation of these PIPs, possibly as a protective mechanism to reduce water loss. In contrast, plants without Ca2+ exhibited an upregulation of PIP1;2, PIP1;3, and PIP2;7 under prolonged water deficit. Ca2+ supplementation also played a crucial role in preserving chlorophyll content and reducing oxidative damage under water limitation. Plants supplemented with Ca2+ had lower levels of H2O2 and MDA, reduced oxidative damage and membrane permeability, alongside increased CAT activity, which suggests an enhanced oxidative response. Our results provide new insights into how Ca2+ enhances eucalypt responses to water deprivation, enhancing our understanding of the function of Ca2+ in drought responses.

Optimizing hydration strategies is essential for athletic recovery, yet over 50% of athletes arrive at training dehydrated. Heart rate variability (HRV) assesses recovery and could be influenced by hydration status and resistance exercise (RE). This study investigated the effects of pre-RE hydration status on HRV up to 3 hours following RE. Twelve recreationally resistance-trained men (mean±SD; age: 21±2 years; weight: 81.3±12.8 kg; height: 176.3±5.8 cm) completed 5 sets of 10 repetitions of bilateral leg press and knee extension at 80% of 1RM. Participants performed resistance exercise while euhydrated (EUH) or dehydrated (DEH) in a randomized order, indicated by a urine specific gravity of <1.020 and ≥1.020, respectively. HRV was assessed pre-RE, immediately post-RE, and hourly for 3 hours post-RE. Linear mixed-effects models assessed differences in HRV parameters between hydration conditions. Independent of time, dehydration significantly reduced HF power (DEH: 27.4±18.2%; EUH: 33.0±18.6%, P<0.01, d=0.30) and increased LF power (DEH: 61.7±15.6%; EUH: 56.3±14.8%, P<0.05, d=0.36) and LF/HF ratio (DEH: 4.5±4.3; EUH: 2.8±2.3, P<0.01, d=0.49) compared to euhydration. Overall, the results indicate that dehydration increases sympathetic activity and reduces parasympathetic activity, reducing HRV. These results provide implications for optimizing recovery status in athletes.

Distinct transcriptional programs control polyethylene glycol (PEG)-induced drought stress responses in oat (Avena sativa L.) shoot and roots.

Hypohydration reduces kidney function and increases acute kidney injury (AKI) risk. Aging increases hypohydration-induced kidney dysfunction in males, but female aging studies are lacking. Therefore, we compared the effects of mild hypohydration on kidney function and AKI biomarkers in young (YF) and older female adults (OF). In a random crossover design, 17 YF (20-35 yr old) and 9 OF (55-75 yr old), who were apparently healthy, completed two hydration protocols with ≥1 wk washout: 1) baseline hydration, and 2) stepwise water restriction over 3 days, concluding with 16 h water deprivation. We assessed hydration, AKI biomarkers, and the renin-angiotensin-aldosterone system (RAAS) from blood and 24-h urine samples. The effects of age group and condition were assessed using two-way mixed-effects analysis and reported as means ± SD. Hypohydration increased urine specific gravity and osmolality (condition effect: P < 0.001) with no other main effects. Neutrophil gelatinase-associated lipocalin excretion decreased with hypohydration (P = 0.04), independent of age (P = 0.62). Urine cystatin C excretion increased in YF (P < 0.001) but not in OF (P = 0.69), with a significant interaction effect (P = 0.017). Nephrin excretion and product of urinary insulin-like growth factor-binding protein 7 and tissue inhibitor of metalloproteinase-2 (IGFBP7 × TIMP-2) increased after hypohydration (both P < 0.001), independent of age (both P ≥ 0.35). OF exhibited lower plasma renin activity than YF (P = 0.046), with no other main or interaction effects for other RAAS markers. OF did not exhibit greater AKI biomarker responses to mild hypohydration, contrasting with male studies showing age-related kidney function decline. These results highlight the need for research to clarify potential sex-based differences in age-related decline in kidney function.NEW & NOTEWORTHY This is the first study to assess the effects of mild hypohydration on acute kidney injury biomarkers in young and older female adults. Mild hypohydration altered acute kidney injury biomarker concentrations in both age groups, with no observed age-related differences, contrasting with male studies that show an age-related decline. These findings highlight the need for targeted research on potential sex-related differences in kidney function decline with aging.

ABSTRACT Polydipsia, defined as intake of over 3 liters of fluid/day, is frequently observed in psychiatric settings in association with illnesses such as schizophrenia, bipolar disorder, alcohol use disorder, and neurological conditions. It may lead to serious complications, including hyponatremia, seizures, and coma, and may complicate the course of psychiatric illnesses. Despite its clinical significance, studies on its prevalence, impact, and management in psychiatric patients are lacking. There is a paucity of recent data, particularly from India. This narrative review aims to synthesize Indian literature on polydipsia in psychiatric patients, summarizing its clinical characteristics, assessment, and management. We conducted a literature search on PubMed, Scopus, Web of Science, and Google Scholar (January 2000 to July 2025) using combinations of keywords: polydipsia, excessive fluid intake, psychiatric illness, mental disorder, and India. We found 18 case reports; no original studies or prior reviews were identified. Patient ages ranged from around 3 years to 74 years, with a male predominance (61%). Schizophrenia and obsessive-compulsive disorder were the most frequent psychiatric diagnoses (n = 3 each), followed by Mania (n = 2). Common features included increased thirst, polyurea, and hyponatremia; complications comprised seizures, urinary incontinence, agitation, and delirium. Diagnostic approaches included urine and serum osmolality, diurnal weight, and water deprivation test (WDT). Management involved fluid restriction, psychotherapy, and pharmacotherapy (second-generation antipsychotics, selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors, and Acetazolamide). Polydipsia in psychiatric patients in India is documented only through case reports, highlighting a critical evidence gap. There is a need for original Indian studies using robust methodologies.

Many paediatricians assess infants or children with a history of excessive fluid intake. Most patients will have primary polydipsia, but the differential diagnosis includes rare disorders requiring specialist input and lifelong treatment. This article will focus on conditions characterised by abnormal vasopressin (AVP) secretion by the posterior pituitary gland. We describe the clinical features and investigations that are useful in identifying the underlying pathology in these patients and explain why the water deprivation test may not be needed. We discuss why the term diabetes insipidus should be consigned to the history books and why the precise cause of AVP deficiency is still unclear in some instances. Two clinical cases will be used to highlight topics such as diagnostic uncertainty, assessing thirst objectively and the potential role of copeptin.

Microbes inhabiting soils experience periodic water deprivation. The effects of desiccation on DNA, protein, and membrane integrity are well-described. However, the effects of drying and rehydration on the composition of cellular RNA and metabolites are still poorly understood. Here, we describe how slow drying and rehydration with water vapor influence the composition of RNAs and metabolites in a soil Arthrobacter. While drying reduced cultivability relative to hydrated controls, water vapor rehydration fully restored it. Ribosomal RNA proportions remained constant throughout all treatments, and mRNA profiles showed stable composition during desiccation-changing only during transitions into and out of desiccation-induced dormancy. Six transcriptional modules displayed distinct expression patterns in desiccated-rehydrated samples relative to hydrated controls, including desiccation-rehydration responsive and rehydration-specific profiles. Targeted intracellular metabolomics revealed similarly static profiles during desiccation, with a cluster of ribonucleosides and nucleobases increasing in response to desiccation and returning to baseline levels upon rehydration with water vapor. These findings demonstrate that both mRNA and metabolite profiles remain essentially frozen in desiccated Arthrobacter, with dynamic changes occurring only during state transitions. These results have important implications for environments with frequent drying cycles where stable mRNA in dormant cells combined with intracellular RNA recycling may obscure interpretations of RNA-based environmental analyses that use RNA as a marker of microbial activity. Our results suggest that RNA-based activity assessments in periodically dry environments require careful consideration of dormancy-associated molecular preservation.IMPORTANCEMetabolic activity quickly ceases in drying bacteria as they enter desiccation-induced dormancy. We show that mRNA and metabolite profiles were variable during drying and rewetting but did not change while desiccated. Additionally, water vapor stimulated the shift from the static to active state when exiting desiccation-induced dormancy. These shifts coincided with increased cultivability, indicating water vapor resuscitated dry cells. Because RNAs are transient, labile molecules that are turned over rapidly in growing bacteria, the presence of RNA in the environment is used as a marker for microbial activity. Our research shows this assumption may not hold for desiccated cells, indicating reliance on RNA as a marker of activity in environments that experience drying may obscure estimates of in situ microbial activity.

We propose ‘Gaza Starvation’ as a novel clinical and public health terminology to describe a unique and acute form of starvation observed within the ongoing Palestine-Israel conflict. This term specifically refers to the intentional weaponization of hunger, resulting from deliberate or sustained deprivation of food, water, and medical resources under conditions of siege and armed conflict [1,2]. It transcends general acute starvation by highlighting the profound human-made disaster and its extraordinary medical, immunological, and humanitarian after effects. Operationally, the term 'Gaza Starvation' describes a distinct clinical and public health crisis observed when a population meets the Integrated Food Security Phase Classification criteria for Famine. These IPC thresholds serve to define the context and scale of Gaza Starvation as a deliberate weaponization of hunger, rather than serving as direct individual diagnostic criteria [3,4]. These critical thresholds include: At least 20% of households face an extreme lack of food. A Global Acute Malnutrition prevalence exceeding 30%. A Crude Death Rate of 2 deaths per 10,000 people per day. An Under-5 Mortality Rate (U5MR) of 4 deaths per 10,000 children under 5 per day. This distinct terminology emphasizes the deliberate nature and specific conditions of the crisis in Gaza, where the outcome of war has become so deeply inculcated that it constitutes an intentional weapon. While the World Health Organization often employs broader terms such as "malnutrition" and "acute malnutrition", further classified into Moderate Acute Malnutrition with a Weight-for-height Z-score between –2 and –3 SD, and Severe Acute Malnutrition (SAM) with a Weight-for-height Z-score below –3 SD or presence of bilateral pitting edema), the term ‘Gaza Starvation’ underscores the crisis's specific anthropogenic origins and severe consequences in this context.

Rising global temperatures lead to a continuous increase in the frequency and intensity of extreme weather events, such as droughts and floods, posing serious threats to terrestrial homeotherms. However, adaptive changes in respiratory metabolism and molecular mechanisms in lung tissues of small mammals under extreme water shortage conditions remain unclear. This study hypothesized that small desert mammals can adapt to extreme water shortage environments by regulating the plasticity of lung tissue gene expression and respiratory metabolism. Using 29 wild-caught Siberian jerboas (Orientallactaga sibirica) as subjects, we implemented a 12-day complete water deprivation protocol to simulate extreme aridity. Body weight, food intake, and daily energy expenditure (DEE) were monitored throughout the experiment. Whole-transcriptome sequencing of lung tissues was performed to profile mRNA, circRNA, and miRNA expression, with competitive endogenous RNA (ceRNA) network analysis to explore molecular mechanisms underlying lung adaptation to water deprivation. Over the 12-day water deprivation (WS) period, Orientallactaga sibirica (O. sibirica) exhibited a 30.3% reduction in body mass and a 68.1% decrease in food intake relative to the baseline level. DEE during the peak activity period at the end of the experiment was 12.6% lower in the WS group compared to the control group. In lung tissue, structural integrity-related genes (Mybl2, Ccnb1) were downregulated. A key finding was that circ_0015576 exhibits a significant positive correlation with the potassium channel gene Kcnk15 and a robust negative correlation with miR-503-5p-suggesting that circ_0015576 functions as a competing endogenous RNA (ceRNA) to sequester miR-503-5p and thereby derepress Kcnk15 expression. Core regulatory genes (ApoA4, Dusp15 etc.) were also coordinately downregulated. Collectively, these results indicate that O. sibirica reduces overall energy expenditure, which may be associated with lung gene expression plasticity, such as those related with lung cell proliferation, pulmonary function, and gas exchange efficiency. This metabolic downregulation facilitates energy conservation under severe water scarcity.