Skip to main content
Log in

The influence of the social thermoregulation on the cold-adaptive growth of BAT in hairless and furred mice

  • Short Communications and Technical Notes
  • Published:
Pflügers Archiv Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Summary

When mice were living in groups they developed less brown adipose tissue (BAT) during cold adaptation as compared with single mice. This effect of social aggregation was more pronounced in genetically hairless mice than in furred mice. In both races of mice the most significant difference in BAT growth was found between single mice and pairs of mice, indicating that the formation of pairs causes the relatively most effective improvement of thermal balance.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

References

  • Gebczynska, Z., Gebczynski, M.: Insulating properties of the nest and social temperature regulation in Clethrionomys glareolus (Schreber). Ann. Zool. Fennici8, 104–108 (1971)

    Google Scholar 

  • Heldmaier, G.: Zitterfreie Wärmebildung und Körpergröße bei Säugetieren. Z. vergl. Physiol.73, 222–248 (1971)

    Google Scholar 

  • Heldmaier, G.: Cold-adaptive changes of heat production in mammals. Proceedings of the international symposium, on environmental physiology, bioenergetics Dublin 1971. Fed. Amer. Soc. exp. Biol., Bethesda Md., pp. 79–81 (1972)

    Google Scholar 

  • Heldmaier, G.: Temperature adaptation and brown adipose tissue in hairless and albino mice. J. comp. Physiol.92, 281–292 (1974)

    Google Scholar 

  • Janský, L.: Non-shivering thermogenesis and its thermoregulatory significance. Biol. Rev.48, 85–132 (1973)

    Google Scholar 

  • Prychodko, W.: Effect of aggregation of laboratory mice (Mus musculus) on food intake at different temperatures. Ecology39, 500–503 (1958)

    Google Scholar 

  • Sealander, J. A.: The relationship of nest protection and huddling to survival of peromyscus at low temperature. Ecology33, 63–71 (1952)

    Google Scholar 

  • Smith, R. E.: Thermoregulatory and adaptive behaviour of brown adipose tissue. Science146, 1686–1689 (1964)

    Google Scholar 

  • Tertil, R.: The effect of behavioural thermoregulation on the daily metabolism of Apodemus agrarius (Pallas, 1771). Acta theriol. (Warszaw)17, 295–313 (1972)

    Google Scholar 

  • Wiegert, R. G.: Respiratory energy loss and activity patterns in the meadow vole microtus pennsylvanicus pennsylvanicus. Ecology42, 245–253 (1961)

    Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

Authors

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Heldmaier, G. The influence of the social thermoregulation on the cold-adaptive growth of BAT in hairless and furred mice. Pflugers Arch. 355, 261–266 (1975). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00583688

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00583688

Key words

Navigation