Heat or Insulation: Behavioral Titration of Mouse Preference for Warmth or Access to a Nest
Heat or Insulation: Behavioral Titration of Mouse Preference for Warmth or Access to a Nest
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DOI：
10.1371/journal.pone.0032799
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发表时间：
2012-03-30
期刊：
影响因子：
3.7
通讯作者：
Garner, Joseph P.
中科院分区：
文献类型：
--
作者：
Gaskill, Brianna N.;Gordon, Christopher J.;Garner, Joseph P.
在实验室里，老鼠被饲养在20-24摄氏度，低于它们的最低临界温度（大约30摄氏度）。这种增加的热应力有可能改变科学成果。嵌套材料应该允许改善行为温度调节，从而减轻这种热应力。筑巢行为应该随着温度和材料的变化而变化，在筑巢或热亲和性（对温度的反应）之间的选择也应该取决于这些因素的平衡，比如老鼠会根据温度滴定筑巢材料。将幼年CD-1、BALB/c和C57BL/6小鼠（雄性36只，雌性36只/品系，每组3只）饲养在2个相连的笼子中，每个笼子用水浴保持不同的温度。每组中的一个笼为20摄氏度（巢笼；NC），而另一个笼为6种温度中的一种（温度笼；TC: 20、23、26、29、32或35摄氏度）。NC包含6种嵌套规定中的一种（0,2,4,6,8或10克），每天更改。在两个笼子中测量食物摄取量和巢得分。随着配对笼间温差的增大，NC的采食量增大。筑巢条件改变了两对温度之间筑巢得分的差异。NC的巢评分随饲料的增加而增加。此外，温度配对改变了巢得分的差异，在26℃和29℃时，位置之间的差异最小。小鼠将材料从NC转移到TC，但随着供应的增加，转移的可能性降低。总的来说，不同品系和性别的老鼠更喜欢26-29摄氏度的温度，从耐热性到筑巢的转变是在6到10克的材料之间。我们的研究结果表明，在正常的实验室温度下，为小鼠提供不少于6克的筑巢材料，但在典型温度下，可能需要高达10克的筑巢材料来缓解热应激。
In laboratories, mice are housed at 20-24 degrees C, which is below their lower critical temperature (approximate to 30 degrees C). This increased thermal stress has the potential to alter scientific outcomes. Nesting material should allow for improved behavioral thermoregulation and thus alleviate this thermal stress. Nesting behavior should change with temperature and material, and the choice between nesting or thermotaxis (movement in response to temperature) should also depend on the balance of these factors, such that mice titrate nesting material against temperature. Naive CD-1, BALB/c, and C57BL/6 mice (36 male and 36 female/strain in groups of 3) were housed in a set of 2 connected cages, each maintained at a different temperature using a water bath. One cage in each set was 20 degrees C (Nesting cage; NC) while the other was one of 6 temperatures (Temperature cage; TC: 20, 23, 26, 29, 32, or 35 degrees C). The NC contained one of 6 nesting provisions (0, 2, 4, 6, 8, or 10g), changed daily. Food intake and nest scores were measured in both cages. As the difference in temperature between paired cages increased, feed consumption in NC increased. Nesting provision altered differences in nest scores between the 2 paired temperatures. Nest scores in NC increased with increasing provision. In addition, temperature pairings altered the difference in nest scores with the smallest difference between locations at 26 degrees C and 29 degrees C. Mice transferred material from NC to TC but the likelihood of transfer decreased with increasing provision. Overall, mice of different strains and sexes prefer temperatures between 26-29 degrees C and the shift from thermotaxis to nest building is seen between 6 and 10 g of material. Our results suggest that under normal laboratory temperatures, mice should be provided with no less than 6 grams of nesting material, but up to 10 grams may be needed to alleviate thermal distress under typical temperatures.