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PredicateObject
rdf:type
lifeskim:mentions
pubmed:issue
3
pubmed:dateCreated
2005-4-5
pubmed:abstractText
The golden spiny mouse (Acomys russatus) is an omnivorous desert rodent that does not store food, but can store large amounts of body fat. Thus, it provides a good animal model to study physiological and behavioural adaptations to changes in food availability. The aim of this study was to investigate the time course of metabolic and behavioural responses to prolonged food restriction. Spiny mice were kept at an ambient temperature of 27 degrees C and for 3 weeks their food was reduced individually to 30% of their previous ad libitum food intake. When fed ad libitum, their average metabolic rate was 82.77+/-3.72 ml O(2) h(-1) during the photophase and 111.19+/-4.30 ml O(2) h(-1) during the scotophase. During food restriction they displayed episodes of daily torpor when the minimal metabolic rate gradually decreased to 16.07+/-1.07 ml O(2) h(-1), i.e. a metabolic rate depression of approximately 83%. During the hypometabolic bouts the minimum average body temperature T(b), decreased gradually from 32.6+/-0.1 degrees C to 29.0+/-0.4 degrees C, with increasing duration of consecutive bouts. In parallel, the animals increased their activity during the remaining daytime. Torpor as well as hyperactivity was suppressed immediately by refeeding. Thus golden spiny mice used two simultaneous strategies to adapt to shortened food supply, namely energysaving torpor during their resting period and an increase in locomotor activity pattern during their activity period.
pubmed:language
eng
pubmed:journal
pubmed:citationSubset
IM
pubmed:status
MEDLINE
pubmed:month
Apr
pubmed:issn
0174-1578
pubmed:author
pubmed:issnType
Print
pubmed:volume
175
pubmed:owner
NLM
pubmed:authorsComplete
Y
pubmed:pagination
193-200
pubmed:dateRevised
2009-6-8
pubmed:meshHeading
pubmed:year
2005
pubmed:articleTitle
Adaptive mechanisms during food restriction in Acomys russatus: the use of torpor for desert survival.
pubmed:affiliation
Department of Animal Physiology, Philipps University of Marburg, Karl von Frisch Str. 6, 35043 Marburg, Germany.
pubmed:publicationType
Journal Article