title: Number of mice per cage influences uncoupling protein content of brown adipose tissue.
abstract: The effect of housing density of mice on the thermogenic state and capacity of their brown adipose tissue was studied. Mice were housed one, two, or six per cage at 28 degrees C for 15 days. Increased housing density suppressed the thermogenic capacity of brown adipose tissue (decreased the total amount of uncoupling protein) and decreased the thermogenic state of brown adipose tissue mitochondria (decreased GDP binding). A density of six mice per cage had a greater effect than a density of two mice per cage. The size of brown adipose tissue (wet weight and protein content), the content of mitochondria in it (cytochrome oxidase content), and the total activity of thyroxine 5'-deiodinase were not altered by housing density. We conclude that even at a temperature close to thermoneutrality (29-33 degrees C for the mouse), the occurrence of social thermoregulation (huddling) reduces the requirement for brown adipose tissue thermogenesis and results in a reduction in its thermogenic capacity. It is clearly of importance that the design of studies of mouse brown adipose tissue take into account not only the temperature at which the mice are housed, but also the number of mice housed per cage.
authors.affiliation: Department of Biochemistry, University of Ottawa, Faculty of Medicine, Ontario, Canada.
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Himms-Hagen
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Villemure
mesh_terms: D002001:Adipose Tissue, Brown / Q000378:metabolism*; D000818:Animals; D001831:Body Temperature; D001835:Body Weight; D002352:Carrier Proteins / Q000378:metabolism*; D003576:Electron Transport Complex IV / Q000378:metabolism; D005260:Female; D007453:Iodide Peroxidase / Q000378:metabolism; D007473:Ion Channels; D008565:Membrane Proteins / Q000378:metabolism*; D051379:Mice; D008810:Mice, Inbred C57BL; D008928:Mitochondria / Q000378:metabolism*; D024101:Mitochondrial Proteins; D012919:Social Behavior; D012934:Social Isolation; D013974:Thyroxine / Q000097:blood; D014284:Triiodothyronine / Q000097:blood; D000071256:Uncoupling Protein 1
chemical_list: D002352:Carrier Proteins; D007473:Ion Channels; D008565:Membrane Proteins; D024101:Mitochondrial Proteins; D000071256:Uncoupling Protein 1; D014284:Triiodothyronine; D007453:Iodide Peroxidase; D003576:Electron Transport Complex IV; D013974:Thyroxine